ASEAN paving way 'for new ideas'

ASEAN paving way 'for new ideas'

SINGAPORE (DPA): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has become the driving force behind new ideas fostering cooperation and dialog among Southeast Asian countries, a key figure said in a conference report on Tuesday.

Tommy Koh, Singapore's ambassador-at-large and executive director of the Asia-Europe Foundation, said ASEAN assumed the leadership role because China and Japan have failed to cooperate in the past.

"What remains to be seen is whether ASEAN can continue to lead in the 21st century," Koh told the three-day conference on Asians: Past and Future.

ASEAN groups Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The conference is focusing on the impact of the historical legacies of the 20th century.