With the admission of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Union of Myanmar into the Association, the year under review saw ASEAN come closer to realising the dream expressed by the Founding Fathers in the Bangkok Declaration of 1967. Their dream of an ASEAN which embraces all ten countries of Southeast Asia will be realised when Observer, Cambodia is admitted in due course.

The decision to admit Cambodia at a later date than Laos and Myanmar was made at a Special Meeting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Kuala Lumpur on 10 July 1997 and was prompted by the unfortunate turn of events in Cambodia. The Ministers reviewed their earlier decision made at their Special Meeting of 31 May 1997 to admit all three countries simultaneously on 23 July 1997. They also indicated ASEAN's readiness to contribute to the resolution of the situation.

During the year under review, ASEAN achieved a greater degree of cohesion even as it expanded in membership. Efforts to consolidate relationships among the various sectors in the region and to enhance ASEAN cooperation in the various fields proliferated during the year. The increase in the depth and range of cooperation, it was felt, warranted the strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat through the creation of an additional Deputy Secretary-General post for non-economic matters.

Initiatives to inculcate awareness of ASEAN programmes and policies in the private sector came to fruition in the area of economic cooperation, with the ASEAN-CCI holding its first business summit, drawing some 600 participants from all over the world. Fledgling steps were taken in this direction under functional cooperation with the decision to establish the ASEAN Foundation. The Foundation will promote ASEAN awareness, increase interaction among the peoples of ASEAN and widen participation in ASEAN activities. Efforts in functional cooperation made headway in its efforts to bring about shared prosperity and social cohesiveness as the region continued its move towards increasing economic integration.

These intra-ASEAN efforts were undertaken in tandem with a policy of forging bonds and establishing friendly ties with other regional organisations. Over the past year, ASEAN linked up with several regional bodies of growing strength and import while ASEAN Member Countries made their presence felt in regional and international fora, such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

At the forefront of the move to raise ASEAN's profile among the general public is the ASEANWEB, the ASEAN Secretariat's website on the Internet. The ASEANWEB promotes greater intra-ASEAN cohesion even as it amplifies ASEAN's voice in the international arena. With the Association gearing up for a year-long celebration of its 30th anniversary with a plethora of national and regional activities, there is no doubt that the call of the ASEAN Leaders to give ASEAN greater currency will meet with a resounding response.