Southeast Asian Nation Associations:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. According to the ASEAN website, the aims and purposes of ASEAN are:

• To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.
• To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
• To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields.
• To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres.
• To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples.
• To promote Southeast Asian studies.
• To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves. 

The European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) also share a commitment to regional integration as a means of fostering regional stability, building prosperity, and addressing global challenges. The European Union fully supports ASEAN's renewed efforts to build a closer relationship amongst its member states.