Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed here Tuesday to begin negotiations next year to build an "economic partnership" over the next decade.
At their annual summit, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his counterparts from the 10 ASEAN members signed a joint declaration outlining a framework to forge a comprehensive economic partnership "as soon as possible within 10 years."
Japan signed the declaration one day after China and ASEAN signed a framework agreement to complete a free-trade zone by 2010.