The first formal summit of East Asian nations in Kuala Lumpur next year could include Australia and New Zealand, host Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi indicated on Tuesday.

"In all probability, they will have a chance to come but details will be worked out by the foreign ministers," Abdullah told a news conference after the end of the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.

"It will yet be another very, very busy summit (in Malaysia). There will be many activities and I should be able to see again those friends at this summit: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China and some others."

Malaysia notched a victory at the Asean summit Monday when it overcame initial objections from Indonesia to achieve a 15-year dream of hosting an East Asian summit when it takes over the Asean chairmanship next year.

But details of the meeting would be ironed out by Asean foreign ministers.

Divided views

Among the issues to be decided is the frequency of the summit, and whether it would only involve Asean and dialogue partners China, Japan and South Korea which are already in a group known as Asean Plus Three, or include other Asian nations.

Indonesia wants the summit to cover not only China, Japan and South Korea, but also India, Australia and New Zealand.

The East Asian Summit will be the realisation of a 1990 proposal by then-Malaysian premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for an East Asian Economic Caucus.

The proposal failed to take off because of opposition from the United States which feared it would undermine the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Analysts and diplomats have said a more formal East Asian Summit could replace the Asean Plus Three framework and underscore the region's seriousness in pursuing a goal to achieve a European Union-style single market and community by 2020.