On December 14, 2005, the first East Asia Summit (EAS) was held in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. The leaders of all countries at the summit adopted and signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration of the EAS.

The Declaration says that the EAS participating countries have recognized that to realize peace, security and prosperity of East Asia and the world at large conforms to common interest of all countries and would like to strengthen cooperation, build up friendship, create a peaceful environment and make contributions to regional and world peace, security and economic prosperity in the spirit of equal partnership and principle of reaching a unanimity through consultations.

The Declaration firmly believes that it is of great significance to promoting peace and economic prosperity for the EAS participating countries to strengthen bilateral and multilateral interaction and cooperation on issues of common interest and concern with one another and with all other countries in the world.

The Declaration agrees that the EAS can play an important role in the process of developing integration of this region.

The Declaration says that the leaders of all the countries at the summit agree to build the EAS into a forum and hold dialogue on strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern. The EAS should try to advance integration development of this region in accordance with ASEAN's development.

The Declaration says that all the countries at the summit will strengthen strategic dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues, promote East Asian development through enhanced technological transfer, infrastructure construction and humanitarian assistance and push for trade and investment expansion and liberalization process. They should also strengthen non-governmental exchanges, build up mutual trust and unity and push for cooperation in the areas of environmental protection, communicable disease prevention and disaster reduction.

The Declaration says that the EAS will be held regularly during the period of the annual ASEAN Summit and be hosted by the president country of ASEAN as president. The mode of the summit will be jointly deliberated by all ASEAN participating countries and other EAS countries.

The heads of state or government of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, ROK and New Zealand attended this historic first East Asia Summit.