1.	The eighteenth meeting of the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council was held on December 25, 2008, from 9:30 to 10:15; Prime Minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry attended the meeting.
2.	In the meeting, under the subject "overseas economic cooperation for the East Asia," the strategy of overseas economic cooperation for the East Asia was discussed in the context of the forthcoming East Asia Summit.
3.	It was confirmed that, given the recent changing situations such as the current financial turmoil, the cooperation for the East Asia will be implemented along the following lines: (1) Taking appropriate measures to prevent the East Asian economy, as the center of world economic growth, from being severely damaged by the current financial turmoil and the global economic slowdown. (2) Attaining self-sustaining growth is essential, especially through promoting use of private funds for infrastructure building; (3) Implementing cooperation which contributes to facilitation of regional cooperation and correction of regional economic disparities; (4) Sharing and consolidating such values as freedom and the rule of law, and promoting cooperation in the field of comprehensive security such as water security.
4.	Based on the above lines, with an aim to help Asia be "a center of growth open to the world," it was agreed that, toward the East Asia Summit and other occasions, Japan will actively take leadership for launching specific initiative both in addressing impacts of the financial turmoil and in taking measures for reinforcing growth and expanding domestic demand and further elaboration will be pursued to this end.