BANGKOK, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Heads of state and government of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will gather here from Saturday to Monday for their 35th summit and related summits under the theme "Advancing Partnership for Sustainability."
ASEAN, a regional bloc comprising 10 Southeast Asian nations, aims to promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitate economic integration among its members.
It was established in August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The group later expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
ASEAN celebrated its 50th anniversary of establishment in 2017. Integration is gaining momentum in recent years as the regional bloc announced the establishment of the ASEAN Community in December 2015.
The ASEAN Community has three pillars: the Political-Security Community, Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community.
The highest decision-making body of ASEAN is the summit meeting of the ASEAN heads of state and government. The ASEAN summit is convened every year and Thailand is this year's chair. According to the ASEAN Charter, the chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually among its member states.
