Association of Southeast Asian Nations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, through the signing of the Bangkok Declaration by five founding member states, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, with the aim of promoting regional political stability and economic cooperation at a time of considerable Cold War tension in Southeast Asia. The organization set out to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development among its members while safeguarding regional peace through cooperation grounded in mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in one another's internal affairs, a principle that has remained central to its diplomatic approach. Headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, the organization expanded significantly from its five founders, admitting Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia between the late 1960s and 1999 to reach ten member states covering the whole of mainland and maritime Southeast Asia. The bloc has since developed into a significant regional economic and diplomatic grouping, coordinating a large free trade area among its members and serving as a convening forum for wider Asia-Pacific dialogue involving major external powers including China, Japan, the United States and the European Union.