Profile: Association of South East Asian Nations
Asean leaders aim to create the world's biggest free trade area
The Association of South-East Asian Nations, or Asean, aims to bolster economic growth among its 10 members and to promote peace and stability across the region.
A loose gathering of five countries at its inception, Asean has become a body with regional and global clout, despite political and economic differences among its members.
It now seeks to create a full-blown economic community.