Australia will host a regional meeting later this year aimed at developing an Asia Pacific group to tackle political, economic and security issues.
The ABC reports Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told a regional defence summit in Singapore on Friday night that he would invite governments, academics and strategists to Australia to begin discussions on a new group which he would like to see by 2020.
He said it would have its basis in the Association of South East Asian Nations but would extend membership to other Asian nations, as well as the United States.
Mr Rudd first raised the idea of a new grouping of nations aimed at bringing together the United States, China, Japan, India, Indonesia and Australia, among others in the region, nearly a year ago.
He has argued that bodies such as the Asia Pacific Economic Community (APEC), the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit each have their singular focus.
However, discussions with regional leaders to date have found little agreement on how to proceed with his concept.
