Backgrounder: Chronology of ASEAN summits

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Anifah Aman opens the 27th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov 18, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

KUALA LUMPER - The 27th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit will officially kick off on Saturday at which leaders from the 10 member countries are expected to discuss future development of the grouping and ways to expand and deepen regional integration.

Malaysia, the rotating chair of the ASEAN summit in 2015, has set the theme for this year as "Our People, Our Community, Our Vision."

The following is a brief introduction to the previous ASEAN summits and main achievements at the meetings:

The 1st ASEAN Summit was held in Bali, Indonesia, in February 1976. The leaders of ASEAN member countries endorsed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Declaration of ASEAN Concord.

The 2nd ASEAN Summit was in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, in August 1977, at which a joint communique was signed.

The 3rd ASEAN Summit was held in Manila, the Philippines, in December 1987. The summit approved the Manila Declaration 1987 and four major economic agreements aimed at promoting economic cooperation within the organization.

The 4th ASEAN Summit was convened in Singapore in January 1992. The leaders of ASEAN member countries signed the Singapore Declaration and a framework agreement on enhancing ASEAN economic cooperation. They decided to hold a summit every three years.

The 5th ASEAN Summit was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in December 1995, during which the Bangkok Declaration was adopted. The leaders signed a number of important documents with the aim of promoting economic and political cooperation. They also agreed to hold informal meetings every year.

The 6th ASEAN Summit was in Hanoi, Vietnam, in December 1998. The leaders approved the Hanoi Declaration, the Hanoi Plan of Action and a number of what they called "bold measures" to strengthen economic, political and security cooperation.

The 7th ASEAN Summit was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei, in November 2001. The leaders endorsed the Mid-Term Review of the Hanoi Plan of Action and identified new priorities which included ASEAN integration, information and communications technology along with human capacity building. The leaders also adopted a 2001 ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism and a Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

The 8th ASEAN Summit was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2002. The leaders discussed and reached a consensus on regional and international issues of common concern, which included ASEAN integration and the fight against terrorism. They signed the ASEAN Tourism Agreement.

The 9th ASEAN Summit was in Bali, Indonesia, in October 2003, highlighting increased mutual trust and cooperation among the group's member countries and its dialogue partners. At this summit, seen as "very productive," the leaders adopted a milestone document - the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, also known as Bali Concord II, which envisions the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2020.

The 10th ASEAN Summit was held in Vientiane, Laos, in November 2004, at which the leaders adopted the Vientiane Action Program, a vehicle to build an ASEAN community through realizing comprehensive integration.

The 11th ASEAN Summit was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October 2005. The meeting adopted the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter.

The 12th ASEAN Summit was held in Cebu, the Philippines, in January 2007. The leaders endorsed the Cebu Declaration on the blueprint of the ASEAN Chart to form the basis of a mini constitution that seeks to transform the ASEAN into a legal entity with binding rules and regulations.

At the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore in November 2007, ASEAN leaders signed the ASEAN Charter and the Declaration on the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint.