The involvement of the US and Russia in the Sixth East Asian summit would fill the forum`s emptiness because now all countries potential to play a role and influential in East Asian had joined the same forum, the minister said here on Monday.
"I think the East Asian Summit viewed from its participants, could be said as significant and even historic because for the first time the US and Russia will participate in the summit," Minister Marty said when visiting the media center at the summit venue.
He hoped that with the completion of the EAS membership issue, the forum would discuss beyond the existing five priorities which have become routine agenda so far, and would start discussing prevailing international problems.
The EAS five priorities are finance, energy, education, bird flu prevention, and disaster management.
"It`s impossible to discuss bird flu forever... there should be a concept to enhance (the topics of discussion)," he said.
The minister said the summit was expected to yield a Bali Declaration.
"The Bali Concept, if adopted, will help increase mutual trust among East Asian nations," he said, adding that the concept would encourage non-violent solutions to any conflict.
The Sixth East Asian Summit to be held in Nusa Dua will be attended by 16 heads of state/government - 10 from ASEAN member countries and six from dialog partner nations.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key will skip the summit due to general elections in their respective countries.
The ten ASEAN leaders are President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia as the current ASEAN Chair, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam, Prime Minister Thingsing Thammavong of Laos, Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, President Thein Sein of Myanmar, President Aquino III of the Philippines, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long of Singapore, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand.
The six leaders of the ASEAN partner nations are Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, and President Barack Obama of the United States.
The United States and Russia will be for the first time participating in EAS.
ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan and Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon will also join the East Asian Summit.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
