Leaders attending the first East Asia Summit here Wednesday reached agreement that the East Asia Summit should remain open and outward looking, with ASEAN as the driving force working in partnership with the other participants of the East Asia Summit.

The Chairman's Statement issued after the East Asia Summit said the leaders attending the summit agreed "the East Asia Summit with ASEAN the driving force is an integral part of the overall evolving regional architecture."

The leaders also shared the view that the East Asia Summit would continue to be a leaders'-led summit for strategic discussions on key issues affecting the region and the evolving regional architecture, the statement said.

On the community building in the region, the statement said that the leaders "expressed their full support for ASEAN's efforts to realize the ASEAN Community," and "recognized that the East Asian Community is a long term goal that would contribute to the maintenance of peace, security, prosperity and progress in the region and beyond."

Speaking of the de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the statement said: "The de-nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful and verifiable manner will greatly contribute to peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region."

The leaders maintained that "the Fifth Round of the Talks should be resumed as soon as possible, as agreed upon, to enable the Parties to the Talks to continue their discussion on ways to faithfully and expeditiously implement the commitments as stated in the Joint Statement," it added.

In light of the uncertainty of global fuel prices, the leaders expressed support "for cooperation in the energy field including development of fuel efficient technologies and alternative energy sources," it said.

Meanwhile, two declarations were signed at the first East Asia Summit. They are the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit and the Declaration on Avian Influenza Prevention, Control and Response.

The first East Asia Summit was attended by leaders of ASEAN ( Association of Southeast Asia Nations), China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Source: Xinhua