KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia expects to see the fruitation of efforts in building the three-pillared Asean Community by year end.

Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Othman Hashim, in his opening remarks at the Asean Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) today, said significant progress had been achieved in the process of Asean Community building.

The three-pillared Asean Community is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible.

“I hope that our meeting today will be productive, fruitful and reflects a clear demonstration of the common interest that we all share.

“I look forward to having a fruitful and productive deliberation on the agenda prepared for today’s meeting,” he said. Among the delegates and officials attending the meeting are the heads of Asean member states’ foreign ministries.

The Asean Community comprises three pillars: Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural.

The Asean SOM is one of the series of meetings held for the 48th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related conferences that began on Saturday and will end on Thursday at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

– http://www.nst.com.my/