Since the Kuala Lumpur Summit in December 1997, the ASEAN Leader has decided to transform ASEAN into a stable, prosperous and highly competitive region with equitable economic development poverty and socio economic disparities (ASEAN Vision 2020). At the Bali Summit in October 2003, ASEAN Leaders declared that the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) shall be the goal of regional economic integration (Bali Conrad II) by 2020.
At the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) held in August 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, agreed to develop “a single and coherent blueprint for advancing AEC by identifying the characteristics and elements of the AEC by 2015 consistent with the Bali Conrad II with clear targets and timelines of implementation of various measures as well as pre-agreed flexibilities to accommodate the interest of all ASEAN member Countries”.
By the 12th ASEAN Summit in January 2007, Leaders affirmed their strong commitment to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 and to transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour and free flow of capital.
AEC envisages the following key characteristics: