Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA: ASEAN Foreign Ministers congratulated Myanmar for the conduct of its by-elections Sunday, even as final results trickle in. The process was welcomed by the European Union's Trade Commissioner who is in Phnom Penh for the ASEAN-EU Business Summit. Separately, the ministers also emphasised the need to hasten ASEAN's economic integration process, to realise the ASEAN Community 2015 target, without any delay. This ahead of the ASEAN Leaders' Summit in Cambodia Tuesday. It's a positive development in Myanmar - that's the view of ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Phnom Penh. Singapore's Foreign Minister K Shanmugam said: "We all have observers on the ground and our observers feedback to us and news reports also suggest that the process of how the by-elections have been held as generally acceptable. It appears to be a transparent process, it appears to be a process that doesn't carry with it too many complaints." A delegation of observers sent by the ASEAN Chair also reported that Myanmar's elections to elect 45 vacant parliamentary seats were conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner with the participation of 17 political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD). The group also urged the international community to consider lifting economic sanctions on Myanmar. The European Union says any reaction from its Foreign Affairs Council will depend on the results. Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Trade, said: "An election that reflects the will of the people will be an important element to help make up your judgement whether it is free and fair. The sanctions decided by the Foreign Affairs Council, the most important one being the one that is still in force which is a ban on timber, metals and gems. And it is the Foreign Affairs Council that will have to decide upon that on the 23rd of April, when it is on their agenda. "I would say that if the elections are free and fair then one can expect that the Foreign Affairs Council will make a move. What exactly the move will be is up to them." Another issue and a more pressing one for ASEAN members to push ahead, is achieving the vision of an ASEAN Community by 2015. Singapore's Foreign Minister says the various economic agencies have been going on road shows to different countries to push the proposals and a major road show is now being planned for Japan. Mr Shanmugam said: "We are moving forward. The final idea as it were is that everyone in ASEAN has a good sense of what ASEAN means and internalises the importance of ASEAN. But I don't think everyone will tell you that by 2015 that everything within the ASEAN community is going to internalise. That is some time away but we have to work on the goal." Plans to hasten connectivity projects for ASEAN's economic community vision will be spelt out in the Phnom Penh Declaration, to be issued at the end of the Leaders Summit. - CNA/ck