The document outlines key milestones in the formation and development of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) leading up to its establishment in 2015. It highlights significant events including the founding of ASEAN in 1967, the expansion of membership, and various agreements aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and integration among member states. Ultimately, the AEC aims to create a single market, improve regional competitiveness, and integrate Southeast Asia into the global economy.

1. The ASEAN Timeline:
Key Dates Leading Up to the 2015 ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC) Integration
August 1967 Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand establishes
ASEAN through the ASEAN declaration
(also referred to as the Bangkok
Declaration). The declaration was signed
by the deputy prime minister for
Malaysia, and the foreign ministers and
secretaries from the other nations.
January 1984
Brunei Darussalam joins ASEAN.
January 1992
ASEAN creates the Common Effective
Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Scheme for
the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).
Both CEPT and AFTA were created to
increase the region’s global competi-tive
advantage as a production base.
The ASEAN Regional Forum was July 1994
established (ARF) focused on security
interdependence in the Asia Pacific
region. This was participated in by the
10 member states and the 10 dialogue
partners: Australia, Canada, EU, India,
Japan, South Korea, Russia, New
Zealand, and US.
July 1995
Vietnam joins ASEAN.
July 1997
Laos and Myanmar joins ASEAN.
December 1997
December 1997
The association adapts the ASEAN
Vision 2020. This vision was created
for the promotion of regional
cooperation in the “spirit of equality
and partnership”. This is the
precursor of the AEC. ASEAN signed the Southeast Asian
Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (also
called the Bangkok Treaty of 1995), a
nuclear weapons moratorium which
prohibits member states to develop,
manufacture, acquire, possess or control
nuclear weapons.
December 1997
April 1999
Cambodia joins ASEAN.
October 2003
December 2005
December 2006
January 2007
November 2007
ASEAN plus Three (APT) Cooperation
was created to improve existing ties
with China, Japan and South Korea.
ASEAN signs the Bali Concord II which
is the catalyst for the creation of a
single market and elimination of tariff
and non-tariff roadblocks within the
region, as well as the promotion of a
democratic peacekeeping process.
First East Asia Charter was held with
16 countries in the East Asia region.
ASEAN granted observer status at
United Nations General Assembly.
ASEAN leaders decided to accelerate
the realisation of the regional integration
to 2015.
Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy
Security which advocates for the search
of alternate energy sources for energy
security within the region.
Signing of the ASEAN Charter, a
constitution to serve as guiding
principles and conduct for the 10
member states.
December 2008
February 2013
February 2009
The ASEAN leaders met and addressed
the need to turn ASEAN into a legal
entity that will create a single free-trade
A Free Trade Agreement was under- area.
taken between ASEAN and Australia
and New Zealand which is expected to
boost GDP across the parties involved
by $48 billion from 2010-2020.
The first round of negotiations between
the ASEAN and the six major trading
partners were held on the establishment
of regional comprehensive economic
partnership. 2015
The ASEAN Economic Community is expected to be established in
2015, a move that is expected to open up the economies of the
member states in a grand scale. The move is set to increase trade
and investment opportunities and improve the general economic
atmosphere. The AEC aims to achieve:
(a) A single market and production base,
(b) A highly competitive economic region,
(c) A region of equitable economic development, and
(d) A region fully integrated into the global economy
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