The 14th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit opened Saturday afternoon in the coastal town of Cha-Am, Thailand.
The summit is the first meeting at the leaders' level after the ASEAN Charter came into force last December. That document turns the 42-year-old organization into a rule-based one.
The theme of this year's summit is "ASEAN Charter for ASEAN Peoples." (www.hXen.com)
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said ASEAN is destined to become a more integrated, effective and compassionate community that serves its most important stakeholder, namely, the peoples of ASEAN.
"ASEAN will put people first--in its vision, in its policies, and in its action plans. That is why we have chosen the name 'ASEAN Charter for ASEAN Peoples' for this summit."
High on meeting's agenda of topics for discussion are the economic crisis, human rights and ASEAN integration.
It is expected that a total of 24 documents will be signed or adopted during the summit.
