During two days of summit talks in Tokyo last week, leaders from Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, agreed to establish a broad-gauged relationship that includes not only trade and investment but also political and security cooperation. Described as the "Tokyo declaration," the accord sets an ambitious long-term goal of creating an "East Asian community."
This shows that Japan-ASEAN relations are entering a more advanced stage of development. The fact that the meeting was held in Tokyo it is the first time that an ASEAN summit has been held outside Southeast Asia is symbolic of a maturing relationship between Japan and one of the world's most dynamic regions.
The Tokyo declaration was signed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and leaders of all 10 ASEAN member states, including Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who cochaired the meeting. Attached to the document is a wide-ranging action plan calling for, among other things, joint efforts to fight terrorism.