A select group of global leaders will gather at the World Economic Forum on East Asia to shape the region's industry, economic and political agendas, with Finance Minister Chalongphop Sussangkarn likely to attend.

The economic dynamism of the East Asian community continues to reorder global and regional business strategies. Ten years after the Asian financial crisis, Asean's lead in market-driven integration, the emergence of China and India, and Japan's economic recovery underline East Asia's renewed economic buoyancy.

The event will take place in Singapore from June 24-25 in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will host the welcoming reception.

According to the organisers, the industry agenda will focus on a new generation of East Asian multinationals and the impact of cross-border investments, while the economic agenda will ex-amine the durability of East Asia's growth in the face of emerging global risks.

On the occasion of Asean's 40th anniversary, the political agenda will centre on the design of its evolving regional architecture and its relationship with important strategic partners such as India, Russia and the United States.

The World Economic Forum believes that the event will be an unmatched opportunity to showcase Thailand's economic opportunities to over 300 global leaders from business, govern-ment and civil society who are shaping Asia's future agenda. It is essential to highlight Thailand's role in promoting greater trade and investment across all of Asia.

Professor Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of WEF, said recently that this year's theme, "The Leadership Imperative for an Asian Century", reflects the top issue at last year's meeting in Tokyo, where participants called for stronger institutions to further Asian integration and address new regional and global challenges.

"We therefore invite you to be a discussion-leader in a major plenary session in the public programme as well as participate in private round-table discussions with leading decision-makers from industry," Schwab said in the invitation letter obtained by The Nation.

Co-chairs of this meeting are Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Renault and Nissan; Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS; K V Kamath, managing director and CEO of ICICI Bank, India; and Howard Stringer, chairman and CEO of Sony Corp in the US.