Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Philippines should support - Golez. Japan announces plan for 2015 forum on 'peace building' in Asia, AP, 14 Nov 2014


Asean


The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the Asean Declaration by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development of its member states and the protection of regional peace and stability.
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Japan announces plan for 2015 forum on 'peace building' in Asia

PUBLISHED : Friday, 14 November, 2014, 5:18am
UPDATED : Friday, 14 November, 2014, 5:19am

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed yesterday that Tokyo will host an event next year focusing on peace building in Asia, national reconciliation and democratisation.
The forum would be an effort under the East Asia Summit (EAS) framework to promote national reconciliation as well as regional development that helped democratisation, Japanese officials said.
Japan planned to invite high-level government officials, as well as members of international organisations and NGOs, from the 18 members of the EAS and from other Asian countries to the event, expected to take place in the first half of next year, the officials said.
The EAS consists of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus Japan, China, South Korea, the United States, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Japan and 10 Southeast Asian countries on Wednesday agreed to widen cooperation in the security and economic fields, towards the establishment of a more integrated community in 2015.
Abe and his Asean counterparts said their expanded cooperation would cover terrorism and money laundering, a statement released after their summit in Naypyidaw said.
Abe promoted Japan's commitment to helping Southeast Asian countries reinforce their coastguards amid an increase in piracy cases in the South China Sea, as well as the peaceful settlement of territorial disputes, according to Japanese officials.
Abe yesterday urged countries involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea to refrain from taking actions that could undermine stability in the resource-rich sea.
"We expect [countries involved] to exercise self-restraint against actions that could undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea," Abe said at the EAS forum in Myanmar's capital, without naming China.
"Just as many countries have expressed concern, unilateral action continues in the South China Sea," Abe was quoted as saying by a senior Japanese official.
Abe told the Asean leaders that Japan planned to help train about 700 people to work for coastguards over the next three years, according to Katsunobu Kato, deputy chief cabinet secretary of Japan.
Japan and Asean agreed to conduct joint drills and enhance information sharing to cope with problems such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling and cybercrime.
Asean said it was aiming for tighter integration next year in the three areas of politics and security, the economy, and society and culture. Abe hailed a plan for Japan and Asean to hold their first defence ministerial meeting on November 19 in Myanmar. Asean consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
On the economic front, Abe welcomed a plan to sign a pact between Japan and the Asean nations aimed at improving private aviation services, according to the officials.
Additional reporting by Kyodo

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