293. ASEAN-Japan development cooperation showed significant progress for the period under review. A total of US $3,463,429 has been earmarked for funding development cooperation projects for fiscal year 1995/1996. In particular, Japan has made a contribution of US $255,596 to the Japan-ASEAN Cooperation Promotion Programme (JACPP) and US $479,405 to the Japan-ASEAN Exchange Programme (JAEP). Both contributions are part of Japan's commitment to assist ASEAN in social, functional and economic development cooperation. ASEAN-Japan cooperation in the area of culture and information has also been further strengthened with the allocation of US$ 2,710,428 for the fiscal year 1995/1996. The Committee on Culture and Information (COCI) will channel these funds into 28 regional projects to be implemented by its four Working Groups.

294. It was also heartening to note that ASEAN-Japan development cooperation had been extended to the three potential ASEAN members, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. A Working Group on Economic Cooperation in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (CLM) met on several occasions to formulate appropriate work programmes to assist the development of the CLM countries and to enhance greater economic linkages between these countries, ASEAN and Japan. The Working Group is supported by numerous experts group. These include, inter alia :

(a) experts group on promoting market economy transition;
(b) experts group on supporting infrastructure development;
(c) experts group on enhancing market linkages; and
(d) experts group on providing cooperation in development of mineral resources.

295. These expert groups are expected to submit their policy recommendations to the Working Group by July 1996. The Working Group will in turn forward these for the consideration of the AEM-MITI Meeting in September 1996 in Indonesia.

296. On 9 September 1995 the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) met with the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan in Brunei Darussalam. The Ministers exchanged views on a number of important international, regional and bilateral economic issues. In particular, they discussed the development of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), World Trade Organisation (WTO) and ASEAN-Japan Industrial Cooperation. The Ministers also reviewed the implementation of the four industrial cooperation projects initiated at the Second AEM-MITI Meeting in Singapore in 1992. The Ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress of the implementation of the projects.