ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit ended in Tokyo on Monday with a stronger commitment to deepen partnership in various sectors including economy and security.
ASEAN and Japanese leaders adopted a joint vision that emphasizes security and economic cooperation during a special summit held on Sunday.
The summit marks the 50th anniversary of official diplomatic ties between Japan and the 10-member ASEAN bloc.
What started as talks over Japanese synthetic rubber exports in 1973 turned into a decades-old partnership that withstood the test of time.
In a joint statement, the leaders called for stronger partnership and the commitment to work together for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, especially in maritime security, the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the settlement of differences, without mentioning China.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will take measures to mobilize more than $35 billion in public and private funds to facilitate investment in ASEAN over the next five years.
Japanese and ASEAN leaders also adopted a plan to implement 130 projects as Japan signed tons of bilateral deals with Southeast Asian leaders.
