Korea, ASEAN open special summit to mark 20 years of partnership

By Byun Duk-kun
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, June 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
and leaders of 10 countries that form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) were to open a special summit here Monday, focusing on ways to boost
bilateral cooperation and form a joint front against the global financial crisis.

The Korea-ASEAN summit also marks the 20th anniversary of establishing a dialogue
partnership between the sides, with the leaders expected to issue a joint
statement at the end of their two-day summit calling for increased efforts to
bring the countries closer.
The South Korean president called for efforts Sunday to form a regional economic
bloc, saying the ongoing global crisis requires the concerted efforts of all the
participating countries. Lee arrived in the southern South Korean resort island
of Jeju on Sunday morning before attending a two-day business forum -- named
Korea-ASEAN CEO summit -- in the afternoon.
Lee's call was repeated by the prime minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva, who
said "no country can take on these challenges alone" in a keynote speech at the
business summit.
Abhisit is currently serving as the rotating president of ASEAN, which includes
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines
and Vietnam.
This week's summit comes as part of Seoul's efforts to improve its relations with
the ASEAN countries under a diplomatic campaign called the "New Asia Initiative,"
through which Korea will help establish a network of economic and diplomatic ties
among Asian nations and promote their mutual interests in the international
community.
Lee and ASEAN leaders are to sign an investment treaty at the end of their
two-day talks, which South Korean officials said will mark the start of
"complete, full free trade" between the sides.
Seoul and ASEAN have already signed and enacted free trade deals on goods and
services.
"Asia's role and responsibility in the international community has remained
relatively small in the past. But in recent years, especially as we entered the
21st century, Asia has emerged as a great power economically and in many other
aspects," the South Korean president said in a recent interview.
Lee will also seek to improve his country's bilateral relations with Southeast
Asian nations as he will hold one-on-one talks with all 10 leaders of the ASEAN
countries before the end of the week.
Trade between Korea and ASEAN nations jumped over 11 times since they established
a dialogue partnership in 1989 from US$8.2 billion to over $90 billion last year,
according to officials.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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