KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The 11th ASEAN Summit opened here Monday amid immense challenges to the grouping ranging from regional economic integration, security threats, disease outbreaks, environmental concerns and high oil prices.

    Top agenda of the summit will be the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter, as the document will give the grouping a legal standing and provide the ASEAN Secretary-General and the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta more power in decision-making.

    The document is likely to stress ASEAN's adherence to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states, and the need to uphold non-discrimination of any of the ASEAN countries in the group's external relations.

    The charter will point towards the 10-member grouping continuing to prefer non-aggression and exclusive reliance on peaceful means to settle differences or disputes.

    The official theme of the 11th ASEAN Summit is "One Vision, One Identity, One Community".

    ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Backgrounder: ASEAN summit and related summits

    The 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and nine related summits will be held on Dec. 12-14, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia.

    The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held on a rotational basis by the country which holds the chairmanship of the ASEAN Standing Committee. The Summit is geared toward strengthening ASEAN as a regional institution that is competent in managing issues of regional and international concern in an effective and productive way.

    The Summit will provide opportunities for leaders of ASEAN member countries to evaluate the relations and cooperation within the grouping as well as identifying the most appropriate measures in defining the direction of ASEAN.

    The official theme of the 11th ASEAN Summit is "One Vision, One Identity, One Community."

    Summits of ASEAN and its dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India and Russia, allow the grouping to strengthen its cooperation with these nations.

    The nine related summits scheduled to take place this time include the 9th ASEAN + 3 (ASEAN +China, Japan, Republic of Korea)Summit, the 9th ASEAN + China Summit, the 9th ASEAN + Japan Summit, the 9th ASEAN + Republic of Korea Summit, the 4th ASEAN + India Summit, the 2nd BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area) Summit, the first ASEAN + Russia Summit, the first IMT-GT (Indonesia Malaysia Thailand - Growth Triangle) Summit, and the first East Asia Summit.

    A highlight will be the inaugural East Asia Summit on Dec. 14, which will gather leaders from the ASEAN nations and those from China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand to draw the regional grouping closer to these countries. Enditem