Regional development and cooperation through ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), comprising Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines, was established in 1967 to promote economic, cultural, and political cooperation in the region. Some degree of economic cooperation has been achieved. Intraregion trade has increased, but trade patterns are dominated by Singapore, the entrepot for Southeast Asia. Through the activities of ASEAN a strong political identity has emerged and has been recognized internationally.