Senior officials representing ASEAN member countries and ASEAN Plus Three countries, namely China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, met in Vientiane on Friday for two preparatory meetings.

The objectives of the meetings were to discuss documents to be submitted to the 19th ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the 11th East Asia Summit to be held in Vientiane early next month.

Among documents discussed were the 19th ASEAN Plus Three Summit Statement on Promoting Sustainable Development Cooperation and the 11th East Asia Summit Statement on Promoting Infrastructure Development Cooperation in East Asia. 

The ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit is a forum that functions as a coordinator of co-operation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the three East Asia nations of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

The APT Summit is the latest development of East Asian regional co-operation. In the past, proposals, such as the ROK’s call for an Asian Common Market in 1970 and Japan’s 1988 suggestion to form an Asian network have led to closer regional co-operation. 

The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian regions. Membership expanded to 18 countries including the United States and Russia at the sixth EAS Summit in 2011.  EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders' meetings.

Source:
courtesy of KPL NEWS AGENCY

by KPL News Agency

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]