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ASEAN Group meet at Laos
The ASEAN group, composed of the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, is expected to adopt the Vientiane Action Program, where they will quicken the pace of the comprehensive integration of ASEAN by narrowing development gap, reducing socio-economic disparities, and eradicating poverty within the group.
The regional grouping will hold talks with the leaders of China, Japan, and South Korea to expand the depth and scope of economic cooperation.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also plans to fast track aspirations for a European-style single production base and market of 500 million people, with a free flow of goods, services, and investments in the region, by 2020.
Southeast Asian leaders and their dialogue partners from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand converge today at the opening of the two-day regional summit here to firm up free trade talks and bolster security.
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