BALI, Indonesia, July 24 Kyodo Th...

BALI, Indonesia, July 24 Kyodo

The following is the gist of the chairman's statement issued at the fall of the curtain of the fifth Asia-Europe Meeting of foreign ministers forward Thursday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

The ministers:

-- called forward the government of Myanmar to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and other National League for Democracy members and make sure them freedom of political activities.

-- called forward Myanmar to resume its efforts toward national reconciliation and democracy.

-- reaffirmed their support for the part of the United Nations in reconstruction and unfolding of Iraq in accordance with the aspirations of the clan of Iraq.

-- were convinced that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue from one side dialogue and negotiations would contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond.

-- urg North Korea to take back its cooperation with the International Atomic might Agency and to reverse its decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to give up any nuclear weapons program expeditiously and in a verifiable manner.

-- exchanged views forward nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and agreed to issue a political declaration forward prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

-- emphasized the importance of enhancing the capacity of the fight against terrorism, while respecting human rights.

-- welcomed the succes of combating SARS and viewed the fight against SARS and other transmittable diseases as far from over

-- exchanged views forward the enlargement of ASEM, in particular the application of the three ASEAN members, namely Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

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