HANOI, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- The on-going 10th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN 10) in Laos brings its members to a peak of cooperation and consensus construction, proving the block a dynamic regional grouping on the path of integration and development, the Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday.

    Under the theme of "Advancing a Secure and Dynamic ASEAN Family through Greater Solidarity, Economic Integration and Social Progress", the summit is considered an effective forum in the sense that it has facilitated discussions between member countries and their dialogue partners to map out common solutions on wide development gaps, adverse impacts of the war in Iraq, oil price hikes, avian flu, and international terrorism.

    ASEAN 10 will focus on building an ASEAN Charter, a flexible dialogue mechanism among ASEAN members. Some 35 agreements and theVientiane Declaration, ranging from definition of a strategic orientation to measures on furthering cooperation for peace and security maintenance, economic integration and socioeconomic development, are expected to be signed during the two-day event which started on Monday.

    ASEAN 10 will signal a breakthrough in accelerating ASEAN+1 cooperation with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand. ASEAN leaders will take the first stepon forming an ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade area in the next 10 years.

    They will sign with China series of cooperation pacts to the goal of establishing the world's biggest free trade area (FTA), the first FTA between ASEAN and an individual country, by the end of this decade.

    The future FTA is expected to help both sides sharpen their competitive edge while mitigating economic risks, said the news agency, noting that an effective ASEAN-China cooperation is believed to make both sides stand firm against negative impacts of the rest of the world.

    The Republic of Korea (RoK) is also expected to sign a joint declaration with the ASEAN on comprehensive partnership, laying a foundation for the establishment of an ASEAN-RoK Free Trade Area (AKFTA) within the next 10 years or even earlier.

    ASEAN and Japan will review the results of implementing their 2003 agreement on closer economic partnership, especially the consultation process towards the liberalization of the goods and service trade, and investment. They will also sign a joint declaration on anti-terrorism cooperation.

    Russia will become the 7th country to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). The other six countries having signed the treaty are Papua New Guinea, China, India, Japan, Pakistan and the RoK.

    Organizing the summit for the first time, Laos is now the focus of attention, as many state leaders, including newly-elected or re-elected leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore, attended the event.

    After ASEAN 10, the block will continue focusing its efforts on boosting economic integration, strengthening its strategic position as a center for dialogue and cooperation towards the brighter future of the Asia-Pacific region, said the news agency. Enditem