U.S. may be invited to become part of Southeast Asia

Tajikistan News.Net
Saturday 24th October, 2009

Southeast Asian countries want to form a bloc similar to the United States.

In fact the group wants to include the U.S. in the bloc.

The initiative has come from Japan which is urging leaders of Southeast Asian nations to establish an east asian community which would include the United States as a member.

During a second day of summit meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Thailand, the Japanese prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama (pictured), talked of Southeast Asian countries building a strong economic community that could act as a world leader.

He said Japan wanted the U.S. to play a strong role in the region, perhaps as a member of a new body.

A spokesman for Japan's government Kazuo Kodama said the prime minister told the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that the Japan-U.S. alliance was the fundamental cornerstone of Japan's diplomatic policy.

"At the same time, he said, he now upholds a long-term vision of establishing an East Asia Community in accordance with the open regionalism," Kazuo Kodama said. "He very much intends to promote intra-regional cooperation in east Asia."

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