Jeju (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is expecting increased relations between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and South Korea in various sectors to achieve a new stage of regional relations in the 21st century.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his speech at the Asean-South Korea summit to mark the 20th anniversary of the relations between South Korea and Asean here on Monday, the anniversary event was a good start which must be continued further.
"We are here not only to celebrate the anniversary but also to forge future relations between Asean and South Korea in the 21st century," he said before the South Korean and other Asean member countries` heads of government.
He said there were a number of things to do to develop the relations between Asean countries and South Korea such as increasing peoples` relations through student exchanges, tourism, cooperation between private sectors, sister-city relationship and cultural relations.
Other fields of cooperation are research and development to create a competitive economy and in the handling of climate change.
"South Korea is committed to green growth programs while Asean has tropical forest resources so that we could jointly reduce greenhouse effects," he said.
Asean and South Korea, he said, must also increase cooperation in the fields of food and energy resilience which had now become a main issue with regard to people`s life.
"Finally we must ensure that cooperation between Asean and South Korea in the 21st century will lead to creating a stable, dynamic and peaceful region. Asean and South Korea both fight for peace and friendship. Now we have an opportunity to play our roles in the best possible way," he said.
The event was attended by South Korea President Lee Myun Bak, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Laotian Prime Minister Bouasane Bouphavanh, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Sultan Hasanah Bolkiah of Brunei, Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vietname Prime Minister Nguyn Tan Dung.
Source: ANTARA News
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