BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - The 8th East Asia Summit (EAS) opened here Thursday morning, where leaders of ASEAN and eight dialogue partners gathered to discuss strategic issues of relevance to the region.

The eight dialogue partners include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin opted out of the summit and were represented by their respective foreign ministers.

The United States and Russia were admitted to the regional forum in 2011. The EAS will discuss broad and strategic issues of common concern at the regional and international levels, and ways to enhance and strengthen the cooperation within the priority areas of the EAS, including energy security, climate change, endemic diseases, and disaster management, among others.

A Chairman's Statement is expected to be adopted as the outcome of the summit. Since its inception in 2005, the EAS has served as a forum for dialogue on broad strategic issues of relevance to East Asia as well as other regional and global issues, with the focus on areas such as energy, infectious diseases, sustainable development, poverty reduction and environment.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.