International Herald Tribune, 15 Dec 2008, The Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations moved to forge an EU-style community Monday, signing a charter that makes the bloc a legal entity for the first time and could pave the way for creating a single market within seven years.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said the new charter, ratified Monday by foreign ministers, provides legal guidelines for economic and political integration. Now, the 10-nation organization is little more than a talk shop, which forges agreements through consensus and steers away from confrontation among members.
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