DECLARATION ON THE ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY BLUEPRINT

          WE, the Heads of State/Government of Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republicof Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Member Countries of ASEAN, on the occasion of the 40^th Anniversary of ASEAN and the 13^th ASEAN Summit in Singapore. 

• RECALLING our earlier decision to establish by 2020 the ASEAN Community, including the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), made in the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II in Bali, Indonesia, on 7 October 2003.

• DETERMINED to achieve higher levels of economic dynamism, sustained prosperity, inclusivegrowth and integrated development of ASEAN.

• CONSCIOUS of the increasing interdependence of the ASEAN economies within the region as wellas with the rest of the world and stressing the importance of narrowing the development gap for accelerating the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

• RECOGNISING that different levels of development within ASEAN require some flexibility as ASEANmoves towards a more integrated and interdependent future.

• REAFFIRMING our collective commitment, made at the 12^thASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines,on 13 January 2007, to accelerate the establishment of the ASEAN Community, including its AEC pillar, to 2015.

• COGNISANTof the need to have a strengthened institutional framework and a unified legalidentity as set forth in the ASEAN Charter by putting in place rules-based systems to realise the establishment of the AEC by 2015.

• EXPRESSING satisfaction at the overall progress made and commitment shown by ASEAN indeveloping the AEC Blueprint and to ensure its timely implementation.

• REAFFIRMING the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) as the coordinator of all ASEAN economicintegration and cooperation issues.

Ref : http://www.asean.org/