Japan is taking its first specific initiative in getting a still embryonic -- but potentially gargantuan -- economic forum of East Asian and Latin American countries grow smoothly.
Government sources said Thursday that Japan will host a two-day meeting of East Asian and Latin American private-sector experts in Tokyo beginning Feb. 20 to discuss various common issues facing the two regions and explore ways to promote trans-Pacific cooperation in economics, trade, politics and other areas.
Conclusions of the Symposium for Intellectuals from East Asia and Latin America, or SIEALA, will be reported to the first ministerial meeting of the 27-nation East Asia-Latin America Forum, or EALAF, scheduled for the end of March in Chile, the sources said.