Since its founding, ASEAN has grown from a modest forum for regional cooperation to an institutionalized organization responsible for a broad range of practical cooperation, and the driver for broader regional economic, political, and security integration.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

In Thailand he will join other regional leaders at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

BBC: NEWS | Americas | Bush holds talks on N Korea crisis

There is much that Japan can be proud of since 1945 -- rapid recovery from war devastation, adopting a pacifist Constitution, the economic miracle, achieving the best living standards in the region, creating a robust democracy in a relatively egalitarian society, and promoting regional economic development through massive aid and technical cooperation.

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