(VOVworld)- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday met on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Vladivostok.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda

The two Prime Ministers agreed that the disputes in the East Sea between China and Southeast Asian countries have drawn the world public’s attention. They attached the importance to solving the disputes in line with international laws including the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. The two Prime Minister pledged to starting the negotiation on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Treaty in November to develop a free trade area between 16 countries including ASEAN countries, Japan, China and India.