Talks at the seventh summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations centered on economic matters and the progress of creating a regional free-trade area, said Pansak Vinyaratan, chief policy adviser to Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
ASEAN nations originally planned to set up a limited free-trade area starting in 2002, but decided to push back the launch date amid concerns from member countries about protecting domestic industries.
Malaysia has resisted opening its local car market to free competition, saying it still needs protection from cheaper imports. Protectionist pressures also came from other quarters, such as the Philippine petrochemical industry.
This sparked retaliatory calls from Thailand and other nations not to cut tariffs on some commodities.
ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Turning to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region, the 10 heads of state and government agreed Monday to intensify collaboration on combatting the disease. A joint declaration urged the United Nations and other international donors to assist in the creation of a global HIV/AIDS fund.
According to health statistics, more than 1.5 million people in Southeast Asia are living with the disease.
At their first meeting late Sunday, the leaders pledged to work more closely to fight terrorism, and "unequivocally" condemned the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes in the United States, which they called "an attack against humanity and an assault on all of us."
The declaration was expected to be formally adopted Monday.
At the same time, they refused to line up behind a proposal by Malaysia to jointly urge a halt to U.S.-led air strikes on Afghanistan.
Since the air strikes began last month, predominantly Muslim Malaysia and Indonesia -- which initially strongly condemned the terrorist attacks -- have urged a halt to the bombing, saying innocent civilians are being killed.
Official's said Malaysia's call for an end to the strikes was opposed by Singapore and the Philippines, which is battling the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf. But that disagreement didn't signal a divide within the group, they said.
"This declaration is all about ASEAN cooperation on terrorism, not about fighting in Afghanistan," said ASEAN Secretary-general Rodolfo Severino.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met on the sidelines of the summit. Leaders of the three nations attend the Southeast Asian summit as part of a wider east Asian forum.
Emerging from the morning meeting, Koizumi said the three countries had agreed to broaden cooperation in economic, political, cultural and other matters. He did not elaborate.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.