The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed in Bangkok on August 8, 1967. Initially, it included Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Later it was joined by Brunei Darussalam (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999).
ASEAN’s statutory goals are to facilitate the development of socio-economic and cultural cooperation between the member countries and promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia. The legal foundation for relations between the members is the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (1976), the ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II, 2003), and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (Bali Treaty, 1976).
Meetings of the heads of state and government are ASEAN’s supreme body.
A system of ASEAN dialogue relations with the world’s leading states, primarily in the Asia Pacific Region was established in the 1970s. Nine countries are full ASEAN dialogue partners (Australia, India, Canada, China, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, the United States of America and Japan) as well as the European Union (EU) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Russia has been a full ASEAN dialogue partner since July 1996.
On November 29, 2004, Russia joined the Bali Treaty.