Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today outlined his vision for an East Asian Community incorporating a free trade area, a non-aggression zone and political and security cooperation, as Malaysia prepares to host an inaugural summit next year.

Abdullah said East Asian cooperation had become more urgent after the 1997 Asian financial turmoil, regional crises such as the Sars and bird flu epidemics, and the terrorism threat.

The summit of East Asian nations in Kuala Lumpur next December will mark the first milestone in the "irreversible" journey towards an integrated region and send a powerful signal to the world of their deep level of trust and cooperation, he said when opening a regional forum here.

To chart the way forward, Abdullah listed six key markers: a regional charter, a free trade area, a monetary and financial cooperation pact, a zone of amity and cooperation, a transportation and communications network and a declaration of human rights and obligations.

"We can begin to chart our way forward to seeking to emplace certain clearly discernable milestones in the route map to the East Asian Community," he said.

"We must strategise to make the leap forward towards an East Asia Free Trade Area... a stable and prosperous East Asia would be a major contribution to world peace, security and prosperity."

Single market target

The East Asian summit will be the realisation of a 15-year dream for Malaysia, which takes over the chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) next year.

Asean leaders at their summit last week endorsed Malaysia's proposal to hold the summit despite initial objections from Indonesia, and have tasked their foreign ministers to work out the details.

It is the realisation of a 1990 proposal by then-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for an East Asian Economic Caucus, which failed to take off due to opposition from the United States which feared it would undermine the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The summit will include Asean and its dialogue partners Japan, China and South Korea, with the participation of India, Australia and New Zealand still under discussion.

Analysts and diplomats have said the East Asian Summit underscores the region's seriousness in pursuing the goal of achieving a European Union-style single market and community by 2020.