The ASEAN and Japanese students will hold talks and then submit to their governments recommendations concerning ASEAN’s future integration and the Japan-ASEAN partnership as well as the establishment of an East Asian Community in the future.

They will also organise group discussions and visit some economic, cultural, social and environmental centres in Tokyo capital and Sendai city.

Tokyo hopes that a network to link the Japanese and ASEAN youths together will be established and they will play a decisive role in the exchanges between the two sides. Through exchanges, Japan wants its young people to learn more about the ASEAN and its member countries.

The conference is part of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme, sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

JENESYS was announced by the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, at the East Asia Summit in 2007 with a total budget of US$390 million.

Under the programme, from 2007-2012 Japan will invite 6,000 people from the 10 ASEAN countries, China, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand to visit the country.

From October 28-November 8, a group of young journalists from Vietnam and four countries in the Mekong sub-region visited Japanese news agencies including NHK Television, Fukushima Radio and the Asahi and Nikkei newspapers.