The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan held a meeting with Ambassadors of ASEAN member countries on December 20 on the third anniversary of the ASEAN-Japan Summit (December 2013).

At the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Kentaro Sonoura stressed the importance of ASEAN for the world’s economy and politics.

Japan will continue to provide comprehensive support for ASEAN countries and share common values on democracy and the rule of law, for regional peace and prosperity, he added.

The deputy minister also expressed his hope to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides through the cultural project suggested by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the ASEAN-Japan Summit.

At the meeting, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ASEAN Ambassadors looked back at their friendship and discussed ways to promote further cooperation in the future.

The ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) groups ten members, which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

VNA