New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- The iconic, centuries-old Qutub Minar monument in New Delhi was illuminated in the colours of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday evening, as the regional bloc's 59th founding anniversary was observed in the Indian capital.

According to the Embassy of the Philippines in India, founded by five nations on August 8, 1967, ASEAN is a now Community bringing together all 11 Southeast Asian nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.

With a combined population of over 700 million and a GDP of USD over 4 trillion, it is would rank fifth largest economy in the world, taken as a unit. Before over 80 diplomats f...