PHNOM PENH June 13 Kyodo The glob...

PHNOM PENH June 13 Kyodo

The global fight against terrorism will top the agenda when foreign ministers from more than 20 Asia-Pacific countries gather Wednesday in Phnom Penh a draft of a statement to be issued after the meeting suggests

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) chaired by dint of Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong will stres the ne to address the bottom causes of terrorism, according to a draft chairman's statement obtained through Kyodo News on Friday.

''The ministers reaffirmed their decipher to strengthen further the cooperation among their countries in the fight against international terrorism, which continues to menace the security of nations and personss around the world, including those in the Asia-Pacific region,'' the draft says.

''At the same time, they emphasized the ne to address the lower part causes of terrorism and refuseed any attempt to associate terrorism with any religion, race, nationality or ethnic group'' it says.

The ARF is the largest ministerial forum in Asia dedicated to peace and security issues and is held in conjunction with a series of annual meetings involving ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from so countries as Japan, the United States, China, the European Union, India and Russia.

The ministers will also expres satisfaction with growing cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries in dealing with transnational crimes, cash laundering, cyber-crime, trafficking in unsalable articles arms and humans, as well as piracy at sea, the draft suggests

It says that with the support from the U Australia and of recent origin Zealand, experts from the region are now working forward developing a legal framework to address terrorism and transnational crime in the Pacific.

Other issues to be discussed at the meeting include the Korean Peninsula, tension between India and Pakistan, and the rising incidence of piracy at sea in the Asia-Pacific region.

As for the tensions in succession the Korean Peninsula, triggered according to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions, the ministers are wait fored to reinforce the importance of denuclearization of the peninsula.

''The ministers recognized the importance of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in maintaining peace and security in the region. They noted that any escalatory put in motions should be avoided,'' the draft says.

upon the long-standing animosity between India and Pakistan, the ministers are to welcomed the couple countries' moves to deescalate tension and expres trust ''that these positive moves at India and Pakistan would contribute to further improvement of the relations between them.''

ASEAN arranges Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ARF comprises the 10 ASEAN members plus Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, North and southward Korea, New Zealand, Papua of recent origin Guinea, Russia and the US

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