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SINGAPORE : Two key documents have been signed at the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, and they will pave the way for more engagement between the grouping and its dialogue partners China, Japan and Korea.
The ASEAN Plus Three leaders gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the grouping's 10th Anniversary, and launched a special commemorative medallion to mark the occasion.
The leaders discussed ways to take the ASEAN Plus Three forum further and build an open and inclusive East Asian community.
During the closed door meeting, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said East Asia should not be a closed bloc, but stay connected to the rest of the world.
It should engage external partners pro-actively and cooperate to address issues of global concern like climate change, energy efficiency, disaster management and infectious diseases.
The 13 countries will also deepen engagement by adopting the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Workplan, which outlines the priority areas for cooperation over the next decade.
One proposal is to establish a fund - ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Fund - to facilitate more projects among the members.
Ong Keng Yong, Secretary-General, ASEAN, said: "There is this sense that this partnership has over the years given us some strategic value and I think from now onwards, two new areas that will come up is environment and climate change, so these are transnational issues which require a lot of cooperation across boundaries."
The leaders also signed a joint statement on East Asia Cooperation which sets out the strategic directions for the ASEAN Plus Three process. - CNA/ms
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