VIENTIANE, Feb. 27 -- Foreign Ministers from ten South-East Asian nations gathered in the Lao capital Vientiane Saturday to discuss a range of issues facing the region, their first meeting since the inception of the trade, investment and skilled-employment liberalizing ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of 2015.

Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongloun Sisoulith welcomed ministerial counterparts representing the region's nations home to some 620 million as they prepared to discuss the group's progress towards greater integration.

Under the theme "Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community", priorities of the country's 2016 ASEAN chairmanship included "promoting a peaceful, stable and outward-looking ASEAN region with highly integrated and cohesive regional economy, enhanced connectivity and strengthened efforts in narrowing the development gap," Mr Thongloun said in opening remarks.

The meeting would also provide ministers the opportunity to "exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern", Mr Thongloun said.

The annual gathering is expected to progress efforts among the 10 member states towards construction of economic, political-security and socio-cultural communities alongside strengthening ties with external partners.