Brussels, 29/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - After the General Affairs Council meeting, the Council of the EU adopted detailed conclusions about the new partnership with South-East Asia outlined in the European Commission's Communication. The Council supports the ideas of the Communication, agreeing with the need to improve the framework and substance of the long-standing relationship given the economic, political and strategic changes undergone in the area. The Council highlights, however, the importance of combatting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in addition to the priorities identified by the Commission (regional stability and combatting terrorism, human rights, democracy and good governance, justice and home affairs, trade and investment, development, intensifying dialogue and cooperation in specific areas). It welcomes the planned ASEAN community (which should come into being by 2020) and says it is prepared to support ASEAN along with the Commission; the idea of rebalancing relations with the option of negotiating bilateral agreements with interested countries while making an appeal a little later in the document for any bilateral agreements with a country in the region to include measures to cover migration and accepting deported illegal aliens; and in terms of trade, the Council notes that achieving sufficient progress in implementing the action plan TREATI and demonstrating mutual economic interests could pave the way to a free trade agreement with ASEAN. It urges the Commission to study the implications of an 'exhaustive and ambitious' agreement of this nature.