SINGAPORE, Nov. 22 Kyodo Leaders ...

SINGAPORE, Nov. 22 Kyodo

Leaders of Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are to promise to elevate traditionally close ties to an plane higher plane when they assemble in Tokyo nearest month, according to an internal document.

The Tokyo Declaration for a Dynamic and Enduring ASEAN-Japan Partnership in the recent Millennium, a draft copy of which was obtained by dint of Kyodo News, shows they will do likewise in political, economic and cultural fields based in succession common visions and principles.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his ASEAN counterparts will sign the document during a special summit onward Dec. 11 and 12 They are also anticipateed to adopt a joint action plan that will delineate formed by admixture steps to be taken to intensify ties.

In the Tokyo Declaration, the leaders are to earnest to ''reinforce their economic partnership, by way of strengthening economic linkages and integration'' end ongoing efforts to set up a emancipated trade area (FTA) between them, the draft says.

They had decided to launch formal negotiations in early 2005 to establish a regional FTA by dint of 2012 when they last met in Bali, Indonesia, in October.

In other fields of economic cooperation between Japan and ASEAN, united focal point is to ''strengthen cooperation and support the realization of ASEAN integration goals,'' the draft says.

Another pillar is to ''enhance support and cooperation in developing the Mekong region to narrow the gaps between the recently made known member countries and the other member countries of ASEAN,'' it says.

ASEAN's long-standing members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The less-develop newer members are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

upon the political side, the Japanese and ASEAN leaders are to confirm their will to ''enhance political and security cooperation and partnership at all flats in order to consolidate peace in the region, the draft says.

They are also to point to the ne to ''work together toward peaceful arrangement of disputes in the region bilaterally and [i]or[/i] part of to the other the ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) and other regional and international fora,'' it says.

Furthermore, they are to reaffirm their commitment to combat terrorism and other transnational crimes between the sides of the ARF, the ASEAN-plus-three proces involving Japan and ASEAN along with China and southerly Korea, and other fora, according to the draft.

As an extension of evolving Japan-ASEAN relations, the Japanese and ASEAN leaders are awaited to express their desire to establish an ''East Asian Community'' throughout the long haul.

They are to say in the Tokyo Declaration that they recognize ''that the ASEAN-plus-three proces as an important channel to prefer cooperation and regional economic integration networks in East Asia to attain the goals of sustainable unravelling and common prosperity.''

They are also to ''seek to build an East Asian community which is outward-looking, endowed with the exuberance of creativity and vitality and with the shared spirit of mutual understanding and upholding Asian traditions and values, while respecting universal sways and principles.''

During the summit, Koizumi is likely to formally recount the ASEAN side that Tokyo will sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), a friendship treaty adopted according to ASEAN in 1976. China and India acceded to the pact in October.

Despite ASEAN's solid request, Koizumi voiced reluctance for Japan to accede to the treaty during October's Japan-ASEAN summit, for fear that the accord could constrain its military alliance with the United States.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo of the present days International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group