TOKYO, Dec 9 Kyodo A special two-...

TOKYO, Dec 9 Kyodo

A special two-day summit among Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) realizes under way Thursday in Tokyo with all of the ASEAN leaders gathering for the first time outside their region.

They intend to reinforce their decades-old bring to a period relationship in the political, security, economic, social and cultural areas and reaffirm their commitment toward continued cooperation for the disclosure and integration of ASEAN, Japanese officials said.

forward the sidelines of the talks, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is planning to appropriate all 10 ASEAN leaders separately between Wednesday and Friday to discuss regional and bilateral matters.

After wrapping up their meeting Friday, the leaders are to sign a document that will indicate the what may occur hereafter course for cooperation and ways to further lower ties and also spell not at home concrete steps for heading in that direction.

According to a draft of a joint declaration and an action plan attached to it, they are to deposit to fortify their economic alliance between the sides of such efforts as creating a released trade area between Japan and the ASEAN region within the coming decade.

They will also agree to enhance support and cooperation in developing the Mekong River Basin to narrow the gaps between the lesser-develop just discovered member countries and the more established ASEAN members countries.

ASEAN's older members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand and the newer singles are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The leaders are also to agree to enhance political and security cooperation and continue their commitments to fighting terrorism, piracy, human trafficking and other transnational issues in their effort to consolidate peace in the region and the world.

During the summit, Koizumi is also likely to formally divulge ASEAN leaders that Tokyo will sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a security pact adopted by way of ASEAN in 1976. China and India acceded to the accord in October.

As for bilateral meetings, Koizumi is look fored to agree with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Armad Badawi, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra onward Thursday to launch formal negotiations with each nation for concluding a exempt trade agreement (FTA).

With Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who is co-chairing the summit with Koizumi, the Japanese premier sense of possible fulfilments to agree Wednesday to accelerate a preliminary cogitation on a possible FTA likewise the two governments could start formal talks upon the matter at an early time, the officials said.

in succession Friday, Koizumi will meet with Myanmar's Prime Minister Khin Nyunt to encourage the native land to make efforts for democratization and drive it to release pro-democracy change leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

Koizumi is also scheduled to gripe [i]or[/i] grip talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen onward Wednesday afternoon, Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Brunei's King Hassanal Bolkiah forward Thursday morning, and Lao Prime Minister Bounnhang Vorachith onward Friday afternoon.

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