BUSAN -- President Park Geun-hye intensified her summit diplomacy toward the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations Thursday as she held talks with the leaders of six ASEAN states to strengthen strategic partnerships with them.

On the sidelines of the summit between Korea and ASEAN here, Park held bilateral summits with the leaders of Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore as her government steps up multifaceted cooperation with the geostrategically crucial bloc.

Earlier in the day, Park met with Myanmar President Thein Sein and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, energy and resource development and construction of infrastructure including ports.

Park and Thein Sein jointly led this week’s special multilateral summit. The Myanmar president has assumed the rotating chair of ASEAN this year for the first time since joining the regional group in 1997.

During their talks, Park asked her Myanmar counterpart to help address problems facing South Korean firms operating in Myanmar. The firms have been complaining of difficulties securing a stable supply of electricity and affordable land for their facilities, and banking issues stemming from the absence of Korean financial institutions in the Southeast Asian state.

Park also asked for Thein Sein’s support for South Korean firms’ participation in various state projects to develop energy and mineral resources, and construct ports and other large-scale infrastructure for which South Korean firms can share their development know-how.

The Myanmar leader expressed his appreciation for Seoul’s support in his country’s projects to develop rural areas and urged South Korean firms including small and medium-sized firms to continue to increase their investment in Myanmar.

On the issue of North Korea’s nuclear development, President Park called for Myanmar’s cooperation in sending an unequivocal message to the reclusive state that the North should stop its military provocations and fulfill its denuclearization commitments.

Seoul has long cited Myanmar’s case of reform and openness to the outside word as a good example for the North to emulate.

Later in the day, Park discussed bilateral cooperation also in trade, business and other areas of mutual concern with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, Laos Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Under the main theme of “Building Trust and Bringing Happiness,” the ASEAN-South Korea forum is expected to help the two sides chart a future direction of their evolving relationship. ASEAN is South Korea’s second-largest trading partner and third-largest investment destination.

ASEAN’s strategic importance has been growing as it is pushing to launch an economic community next year. It will have a population of 640 million and $3 trillion gross domestic product.

By Song Sang-ho, Korea Herald correspondent (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)