WORLD> Asia-Pacific
S Korea, ASEAN open special summit on bilateral cooperation
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-01 15:27

SEOUL -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders are to meet for a special summit in Jeju Island of South Korea on Monday.

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The South Korea-ASEAN summit, celebrating the 20th anniversary of partnership establishment between the two sides, is aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation and coalition in fighting against the global financial crisis.

The leaders are expected to issue a joint statement at the end of the two-day summit to call for increased efforts to bring the countries closer, as well as an investment treaty to launch "complete, full free trade" between the two sides.

The summit comes as the South Korean government recently pushes for strengthening the ties with the ASEAN countries, which the government named as "New Asia Initiative."

The government's new campaign is part of its plan to establish an Asian network of economic and diplomatic and to promote their mutual interests in the international community.

President Lee is also scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with all 10 leaders of the ASEAN countries before the end of the week in a bid to improve South Korea's bilateral relations with individual Southeast Asian countries.

The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.