JAKARTA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia signed on Wednesday ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), making it the 51st country partner for the regional bloc.
The TAC was signed by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Post Ministerial Conference (AMM-PMC) in Jakarta.
Indonesia hosts the regional-level event as the ASEAN Chair this year.
"We welcome Saudi Arabia into the ASEAN Family. Together we must become a positive force for peace, stability and prosperity in the region," Marsudi said in her speech representing ASEAN.
Marsudi also praised Saudi Arabia's commitment to be willing to uphold the ASEAN principles mentioned in TAC, which include cooperation, collaboration, respect for international law, and contribution to peace and stability in the Southeast Asia region and beyond.
The TAC is a legally-binding non-aggression pact signed in 1976 among ASEAN members to establish a set of guidelines to govern inter-state relations in the region, promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation based on mutual respect, non-interference principle and peaceful settlement of disputes.
China is the first major country to join the TAC treaty in 2003. This year marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the TAC.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
