Promoting Malaysia-Japan partnership: the political and security dimensions

Abstract

Japan respects the recent decision of ASEAN to include all the ten Southeast Asian nations, as the membership of ASEAN is to be decided upon by ASEAN. The decision is a positive step toward an expanded regional cooperation in this area. Japan hopes that the three newly invited countries will make their contributions to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region by adhering to international and regional norms, and intends to deepen its relations with the expanded ASEAN in many ways. Malaysia plays a key role in this move as a chair of ASEAN and a host of the upcoming Japan-ASEAN leaders' meeting in December. Japan expresses gratitude to Malaysia for its strenuous efforts to realize this summit meeting, and hopes to maintain and enhance close policy coordination with Malaysia in order to bring about a success of the meeting and to launch a new chapter of the Japan-ASEAN cooperation.