Vietnam's ASEAN membership

Vietnam's membership in ASEAN brings us closer to the ideal which was expressed at the time the association was founded: to unite all the 10 countries of the Southeast Asian region.

Two countries, Cambodia and Laos, are already recognized as observers. Thus only one more step remains before those two countries can become full members of ASEAN. One other country, Myanmar, has already stated its desire to ratify the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Considering the trend in inter-state relations at present, there is reason to feel confident that the ideal will be realized before the century is over. When that happens, not only will the Southeast Asian region no longer be divided into two camps, as was the case during the Cold War, it will also acquire a stronger bargaining position in the global arena.

-- Kompas, Jakarta