PHNOM PENH: ASEAN's leaders have started their second day of summit meetings with
their dialogue partners from China, Japan, South Korea, India and the United
States.
This comes a day after the
regional group settled their housekeeping matters, including confirming targets
to achieve the ASEAN Community vision by December 31, 2015.
ASEAN and Japan will commemorate
40 years of ties in 2013, and Singapore supports Japan's plans to have a
commemorative summit.
Sharing his thoughts at the
ASEAN-Japan Summit, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said
strategically, ASEAN and Japan should enhance links further.
He has suggested that both sides
fully implement the Joint Declaration for Enhancing ASEAN-Japan Strategic
Partnership and its Plan of Action for 2011 to 2015.
Mr Lee said he is also happy that
Japan is participating in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP), to be launched at the end of the summit meetings on Tuesday.
Mr Lee stressed that the RCEP is
not merely a free trade agreement, but a strategic partnership between ASEAN
and key partners.
PM Lee also called on ASEAN to
build on its strong ties with Japan. He said Japan is ASEAN's third largest
trading partner, while ASEAN is Japan's second largest trading partner and
trade has increased more than 25 per cent to US$200 billion in 2011.
Singapore will also do its part
to further ASEAN-Japan relations.
Mr Lee said Japan will host the
9th Japan-Singapore Symposium in the first quarter of next year, and it is a
valuable opportunity to discuss strengthening ASEAN-Japan cooperation and
Japan's engagement with Southeast Asia.
Much of Monday's meetings will
focus on the one-on-one dialogue sessions with the partner countries and the
commemoration of the 15th year of the ASEAN Plus Three Leaders Dialogue, which
involves the leaders of ASEAN together with those from China, Japan and South
Korea.
ASEAN and India will also be
commemorating 20 years of ties, and Indian Premier Dr Manmohan Singh is
expected to share with his ASEAN counterparts plans for the commemorative
summit due in New Delhi in December.
ASEAN leaders will conclude their
meetings for Monday with the 4th ASEAN-US Leaders meeting with US President
Barack Obama, who will arrive in Phnom Penh after his visit to Myanmar.
-CNA/ac
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