Four Association for Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) members will be accelerating their integration plans at the latest summit this week, a media statement released here by the organizers said on Monday.
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines are the four countries that will hold discussions on the ASEAN Connectivity Plan on Thursday as part of the 22nd ASEAN Summit.
Titled the Ninth Brunei- Indonesia- Malaysia - Philippine East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) the program attempts to improve economic integration between the countries as part of the ASEAN effort to become a European Union-like organization by 2015. " Besides accelerating the implementation of existing and new proposed projects, the ongoing works are also to enhance the operational and mechanism of BIMP-EAGA," the statement said.
Leaders of the four countries are expected to debate on speeding up the implementation of the prioritized infrastructure projects in the region, especially in transportation, energy, trading and IT.
It is estimated by Private Equity International that the ASEAN region will need around 1 trillion U.S. dollars over the next seven years to reach its infrastructure targets.
Meanwhile, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left for Singapore on Monday where he will begin his five-day state visit to three ASEAN nations culminating with his attendance at the summit in Brunei.
Along the way he will also pick up an honorary doctorate from Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).
"I will attend the Indonesia-Singapore annual Leaders'Retreat in Singapore, then I will visit Myanmar to have a bilateral meeting with President Thein Sein in Nya Pyi Taw," Yudhoyono told a press conference before his departure.
From Myanmar, Yudhoyono will fly to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, to attend the 22nd ASEAN Summit.
On the sidelines of the summit, Yudhoyono will also attend the BIMP-EAGA Summit and the Seventh Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Summit.
