East Asian Summit won't compete with APEC

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- The upcoming East Asian Summit is no threat to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Malaysia's prime minister said Sunday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the summit next month of leaders from 16 nations in Kuala Lumpur would be "mutually supportive" and would "certainly not become confrontational," the Malaysia Star reported.

When asked by reporters as the APEC summit wound down in South Korea if the summit could develop into an independent bloc, Abdullah was emphatic.

"No, the East Asian Summit will not emerge as an economic bloc. Never. It will be to its disadvantage if it came to that," he said.

APEC is scheduled to meet again next year in Vietnam.