BANGKOK, Oct 19 Kyodo Malaysian P...

BANGKOK, Oct 19 Kyodo

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad onward Sunday stressed the ne for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to focus forward trade instead of diluting discussions with issues as it was as terrorism.

At a luncheon of leaders of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Mahathir pressureed that there are other forums to discuss terrorism, Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said.

Ople said Mahathir's statement ''is a pious cautionary note.'' ''Mahathir might be right in the intellect that terrorism must be dealt with in other fora as it is as the United Nations because this involves not solitary region but the whole world,'' Ople said.

Besides Mahathir, leaders of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- all members of APEC -- also attended the luncheon meeting hosted by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Ople said no other leaders of the corresponded when Mahathir raised the issue.

''There was no reply It was not discussed. It was just an expression of opinion,'' said Ople

Thaksin called the meeting of the ASEAN leaders in order to brief them forward the forthcoming APEC summit meeting in succession Monday and Tuesday.

Other APEC members are Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong Japan, Mexico, recently made known Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru Russia, southward Korea, Taiwan and the United States.

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