Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative Summit

December 8, 2003

1. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative Summit will be held on December 11 (Thursday) and 12 (Friday) at the State Guest House in Tokyo.

2. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Republic of Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN, will sit as co-chairs of this Summit, which will be attended by all ten ASEAN leaders.

3. At the Japan-ASEAN Summit Meeting in November 2002 in Cambodia, Prime Minister Koizumi made a proposal to hold this Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Japan, which was agreed to by all ASEAN leaders, as the crowning event of the ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year 2003. This will be a first ASEAN Summit where all ASEAN leaders will come together outside of the ASEAN region, thus making it a historical event.

4. At the Summit, Japan and ASEAN leaders will discuss cooperation between Japan and ASEAN countries in areas such as political-security, economy, development, and social and cultural relations from a broad perspective. A document on future Japan-ASEAN relations is to be adopted at the Summit.