CHA-AM - AS THE 16 member nations of the fledging East Asia Summit continue to try to work more closely, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday had some suggestions to give them.

In a speech he delivered during the 4th EAS held in Cha-am, he laid out some ideas on how the grouping's members could strengthen cooperation. These include setting up a trade finance mechanism, improving cooperation on fighting climate change, and deepening understanding and appreciation of shared heritage among EAS members.

Mr Lee started by urging officials of the 16 member-states to start work soon on an appropriate trade finance mechanism. This was necessary, he noted, even though trade finance - a key concern during the global economic crisis earlier this year - has become less urgent now.

'It's still worthwhile to set up a system,' said PM Lee, noting that officials had held a workshop on the issue in Bangkok earlier this month.

Next, he noted the rising prominence of the Group of 20 (G-20) as a global economic forum, and called on EAS members to support Asean's continued participation in future G-20 discussions.

For this reason, he said, he welcomed a proposal by Australia for EAS Finance Ministers to meet ahead of G-20 meetings. Said PM Lee: 'Such a forum can help us understand one another's concerns better, and coordinate our positions.'

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.