Dialog partners propose active role

INDONESIA: Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Tuesday that ASEAN's dialog partners -- China, Japan and South Korea -- had proposed that they actively join the next ASEAN summit from the beginning, and not in the form of an ASEAN plus three meeting.

"There is a proposal that at the next ASEAN summit, all 10 member countries and the three dialog partners meet at the same time," Hassan said upon arrival from Brunei Darussalam after attending the annual summit of the regional economic grouping.

"We haven't yet decided whether to accept the proposal, and we prefer to maintain the current format of the ASEAN plus three meeting, so as to enable ASEAN to control the process of the cooperation meeting," Hassan remarked, adding that "the ASEAN countries had decided to look into all aspects of the proposal".

With the current format, the 10 member ASEAN countries first hold the summit meeting and afterward have separate talks with the dialog partners.--JP