AUSSIE PRIME MINISTER OFF TO VIETNAM FOR EAST ASIA SUMMIT

MELBOURNE, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is on
her way to Hanoi, Vietnam, for the 16-nation East Asia Summit which begins on
Saturday, and is also scheduled to visit Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Gillard, accompanied by partner Tim Mathieson, departed for Hanoi Friday,
where a range of political, economic and security matters are due to be
canvassed.

The summit brings together the 10 Asean nations, plus Australia, China,
India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

China's rising dominance and the state of Myanmar's Nov 7 elections have
already featured in Asean talks this week, and are likely to figure in the wider
multilateral discussions.

Gillard, Australia's first woman prime minister, will visit Indonesia and
Malaysia on the return leg, and engage in talks likely to be dominated by
people-smuggling and asylum-seekers.

In Jakarta, she also has the opportunity to ask Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono for clemency for convicted Australian drug trafficker
Schapelle Corby. She returns to Australia Thursday.
-- BERNAMA