TOKYO - LEADERS of South-east Asian countries will unveil a plan to plant trees on millions of hectares in the region by 2020 to absorb greenhouse gases, a news report said on Tuesday.

The Mainichi newspaper said the plan to plant more than 10 million hectares of trees will be announced as a special declaration at the summit meeting of the 10-country Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore next week.

The declaration will also urge the member countries to promote coral reef protection, the newspaper said, citing a final draft of the declaration it said was obtained ahead of the meetings.

Asean's website says the leaders will sign a declaration on environmental sustainability to protect and manage the environment.

It did not give further details.

The website also said the leaders will declare their support for a successful outcome of negotiations at the annual UN climate conference to be held on the Indonesian island of Bali next month.

Asean officials were not immediately available to confirm the report.

An official who answered the phone at Asean's secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, said the person authorised to speak to the media was not at his desk.

Japan is not an Asean member, but Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will attend the meetings as well as Chinese and South Korean leaders. -- AP