The ASEAN and the United States have resolved to focus on cooperation in a range of priority areas including political and security cooperation, economic cooperation, health, scholarships, information and communications technology, transportation, energy, disaster management and environmental management, said DFA quoted a recent joint communique between ASEAN and the United States.

These nine areas of priority will support the ASEAN-U.S. endeavor to create an enabling regional environment in ASEAN conducive to sustained economic growth, enhanced economic interaction and stronger linkages between ASEAN and the United States, said the communique.

"Our efforts will build upon various ongoing programs such as the Enterprise for ASEAN Initiative (EAI), ASEAN Cooperation Plan (ACP), ASEAN-U.S. Technical Assistance and Training Facility and USAID initiatives," it said.

Specific priority measures for ASEAN-U.S. cooperation in 2007 include cooperation in promoting good governance and work to combat corruption, initiatives to promote intellectual property rights protection, the use of internationally adopted standards, increased transparency, and simplification of rules and procedures.

They also include study on collaboration of ASEAN small and medium enterprises and U.S. companies, programs to improve ASEAN's capacity to combat emerging infectious diseases including AIDS and bird flu, a new U.S. scholarship research program for ASEAN countries, and a regular dialogue of telecommunications officials.

The other fields of cooperation will cover transport to improve links between ASEAN and the U.S., energy cooperation for the development of alternative, renewable and clean energy sources.