Cambodian youths urged to prepare for ASEAN integration

Cambodian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Hor Namhong on Sunday urged youths, who represent about 35 percent of the country's population, to prepare themselves for an ASEAN Community, which will become a reality by the end of this year.

"It's just four months away, on Dec. 31, 2015, ASEAN's new historic chapter will be opened, it is the ASEAN Community, which will turn ASEAN into a single market," he said during a lecture on ASEAN to nearly 1,500 youths here.

The realization of the ASEAN Community will lead to the free flow of goods, services, skilled labor, capital and investment in the ten-member regional bloc.

"For skilled labor, it is a challenge for Cambodia, but in the world today, we cannot close the door to live alone; instead, we have to overcome it," he said.

"I hope that you all will further increase your English proficiency, general knowledge and skills in order to compete with the youths of other ASEAN member states in job markets."

According to the deputy prime minister, ASEAN has the combined population of approximately 625 million, in which about 60 percent are youths aged below 35 years old.

Established in 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: XINHUA