World leaders from 16 countries will converge here on December 10-14 for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders' Summit, the highest decision-making body of the regional economic grouping.

Assistant Secretary Louie Cruz, director general of the ASEAN Affairs Desk of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DNA), said Wednesday that 10 of the 16 leaders are the heads of state from the member countries of the ASEAN.

The six others are from China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and India, ASEAN's dialogue partners.

The 10 ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Also expected to attend the Summit are leaders from France and other European countries, and the United States.

There will be four separate summits between ASEAN leaders and leaders of China, Japan, Republic of Korea and India. There will also be the ASEAN + Three Summit, which will be attended by ASEAN leaders and the leaders of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

During the forthcoming ASEAN Summit, the Philippines will push for the resumption of the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations in the forthcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

The President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, chairwoman of this year's ASEAN Summit, said earlier that she has invited Pascal Lamy, director general of the WTO, to attend the regional summit in Cebu in the hope of bridging the bitter divisions between rich and poor nations that led to the collapse of the trade liberalization talks.

Lamy has indicated his interest in joining the annual summit of the 10 member-ASIAN nations and their dialogue partners during the ASIAN Summit, according to the President.

The Philippines will be hosting an ASEAN Summit for the second time since the regional grouping came to being in 1967.

Cruz said in order to underscore ASEAN's concern for the welfare of the people in the region, the summit organization agreed to adopt: "One Caring and Sharing Community" as the theme of the Cube City Summit.

Source: Xinhua