Host Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened the 10th ASEAN-Japan Summit here Sunday at the sideline of the 12th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit.

ASEAN leaders and Abe discussed behind door the future direction of ASEAN-Japan cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international issues, according to a press release after the summit meeting.

In her opening statement at the ASEAN-Japan Summit, Arroyo said Japan is the biggest source of the official development assistance (ODA) for ASEAN member countries, as well as the top trading partner and No. 1 source of tourists and investments for most of the ASEAN countries.

The President also told Abe of the sentiment of ASEAN for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the six- party talks to finally solve the nuclear proliferation problem of the Korean Peninsula.

Source: Xinhua