NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Oct 3 Kyodo ...

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Oct 3 Kyodo

Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are striving to plant out a new strategy to darken mutual relations in political, economic and social fields through the whole extent of the medium to long word according to an ASEAN document.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his counterparts from the 10-member ASEAN are to adopt the strategy when they assemble in Tokyo in December for a commemorative summit celebrating decades-long ties between them, the document showed.

The strategy is scheduled to be mapped disclosed in two documents -- single charting the future course for the Japan-ASEAN partnership and another containing a number of specific measures to strengthen the relationship.

The latter, titled ''Japan-ASEAN Joint Action Plan,'' would consist of as it was steps as promotion of trade and investment relations, conducting research upon security cooperation and development of human resources in the newer, less-develop members of ASEAN.

in succession the economic front, a major pillar will be the realization of a planned comprehensive economic partnership between Japan and ASEAN, including proper spheres of a possible free trade area (FTA), says the draft, which was obtained as ASEAN senior officials adapted in Bali to prepare for nearest week's ASEAN summit.

Japanese and ASEAN leaders are to be ascribed to sign a framework for the economic partnership at their summit Tuesday forward this Indonesian resort island, in which the sum of two units sides would seek to kick most distant formal talks in early 2005 to create a regional FTA from 2012.

In addition to the economic partnership, the action plan would alert Japan and ASEAN to stair up cooperation in harmonization of legal institutions and transport, mobility of businesspeople and tourism, the draft says.

It would also enable Tokyo to provide support for ASEAN's initiative for regional integration by means of narrowing the economic divide between ASEAN's original members -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- and the newer members -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

As for political cooperation, the brace sides would inaugurate a consideration group to explore avenues for strengthening security partnership and prosecute to jointly play a part for the prevention and peaceful liquidation of conflicts in the region.

They would also forward the universality of nonproliferation and disarmament treaties, intensify cooperation in counterterrorism, especially in the area of capacity building.

Cooperation in social fields would likely shroud education, science and technology, personnel exchanges, preservation of cultural heritages so as the Angkor Wat fane in Cambodia.

Furthermore, they would endeavor to jointly tackle global issues, including reinforcing the United Nations, protecting the environment, promoting South-to-South cooperation and combating infectious diseases.

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