Dialog partners propose active role

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