PM briefs Kalam on India-ASEAN summit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday briefed President APJ Abdul Kalam on the India-ASEAN meet and the East Asia Summit he plans to attend in the Philippines next week.

"The meeting between the two at Rashtrapati Bhavan lasted 25 minutes. The two leaders discussed issues of national and international importance," a statement from the president's office said.

"The prime minister also briefed the president on his forthcoming visit to the Philippines where he will be attending the India-ASEAN summit," the statement added.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit at the Philippines, earlier scheduled for December 11, had been postponed to January due to a powerful storm.

Manmohan Singh flies to Cebu island city in the Philippines on a three-day visit to attend the 5th India-ASEAN summit and the second East Asia summit on January 13.

A declaration on energy security with emphasis on clean energy-efficient technologies is expected at the end of the East Asia Summit - a forum comprising 10 Association of South-East Asian Nations, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.