Cambodia was officially handed the 2012 ASEAN chairmanship during a summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Saturday, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono handed over the chairmanship to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who delivered a speech outlining suggestions for the creation of an ASEAN community in 2015, he said.

China has pledged US$10 billion to the ASEAN integration project – aimed at creating a similar regional alliance as the European Union – while the United States and Singapore pledged a combined $50 million.