ASEAN, Obama to ink cooperation pact

LEADERS of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN and United States president Barack Obama will jointly endorse guidelines to enhance cooperation in the first stand-alone U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Sunnylands, California next week.

The result of the summit will be issued in cooperation guidelines, called the Sunnylands principles, to be endorsed by President Obama and ten ASEAN leaders.

In November last year, Obama invited ASEAN leaders to the special talk after ASEAN elevated relations with the U.S. from dialogue partner to strategic partner.

Economic, security, terrorism and transnational challenges will be on the agenda at the meeting, with the summit divided into three sessions covering key topics which include promoting regional prosperity through innovation and entrepreneurship, the regional strategic outlook and protecting peace prosperity and security in the Asia-pacific.

The summit results will guide future cooperation between the U.S and ASEAN and come after the ASEAN bloc launched the ASEAN community. (Eagle News Service)