SE Asian nations seek EU-style common market

Ten Southeast Asian leaders concluded an ambitious accord today to fashion an European style economic community by 2020 in a region where democracies neighbour dictatorships and First World economies abut financial basket cases.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were quick to point out that the envisioned community, part of a blueprint dubbed Bali Concord II, would not entail any political union like Western Europe’s.