His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Zariah arrived in Tokyo Thursday night to attend a forum between East Asia and Latin America (FEALAC) starting Saturday.

Initiated in 1999, the forum is an association of 33 countries from East Asia and Latin America which provides a channel for official and regular dialogue between the two regions.

Xinhua reported that the international financial crisis and economic downturn, environment, sustainable development, social harmony and the forum's development, would be the focus.

The trade between East Asian countries and Latin American nations has quadrupled over the past decade, up from 50 billion US dollars in 1999 to 198 billion US dollars in 2007, while the member countries are seeking to diversify export markets as a means to help their countries recover from the global economic downturn. - Borneo Bulletin (16th January 2010)