KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, March 19 K...

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, March 19 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH expiration OF TALKS)

Foreign ministers from Southeast Asian countries agreed to disagree Wednesday upon the imminent U.S.-led war in succession Iraq but did see observation to eye on the ne for them to collaborate in grappling with the aftermath of the war.

Cambodian Senior Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who chaired the two-day informal talks, said ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEA) did not examine to form a common stance in succession the Iraq crisis but concentrated onward mapping out their strategy onward any detrimental impact of the war.

''We have not discussed the position of each political division in ASEAN...because it is natural, it is normal that each fatherland has its own foreign policy,'' he told a pres meeting for consultation after the talks held in Malaysia's Sabah State.

''We focused forward the consequences -- what ASEAN would have to be facing, what ASEAN could do in the yet to be to mitigate the results how to strengthen the part of the U.N. (United Nations) in the situation, by what means ASEAN can help Iraq during the war or formerly the war is over'' he said.

forward Monday, U.S. President George W Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding Saddam move into exile or face war.

Predominantly Muslim countries like as Malaysia and Indonesia are staunchly oppos to war, fearing it can and nothing else trigger more acts of terror, rising Islamic extremism and anti-American sentiment.

''We are against war and we do not believe that war is a way forward in order to determine international conflicts. War costs parts of lives, war brings about killings and beneath no circumstances can be justified,'' Malaysian Foreign Minister Sy Hamid Albar told the same pres conference

moreover long-time allies of the United States of that kind as the Philippines and Singapore are candidly supporting the U.S. military action in Iraq, unruffled without the endorsement of the UN Security Council.

''By treaty and through tradition, we are allies of the US'' Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said earlier in the day. ''Our national interest also dictates that we support a mode that will really disarm Iraq and perhaps excite a safe and more stable Middle East region where we have 15 million workers.''

Also earlier, Singapore Foreign Minister s Jayakumar said as the UN Security Council failed to reach a decision upon the Iraqi issue, ''prompt and immediate action'' has to be taken to disarm Iraq.

''So that's to what end we have taken our position (to support the US)'' he said.

onward another key issue, ASEAN foreign ministers reiterated their regard about North Korea's nuclear ambitions, hoping for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula will make secure peace and stability in the region.

''We are surpassingly concerned about the evolution or the situation forward the Korean Peninsula,'' Hor Namhong said at the pres meeting, adding the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) will be a ''very appropriate'' forum to discuss the issue.

As chairman of the 23-member ARF, Cambodia will continue to work to realize a meeting between North Korea and other parties interested to help reduce tension onward the peninsula, he said.

The annual ASEAN foreign ministers' retreat finished individual day earlier than scheduled as a certain ministers had to return place of abode to prepare for any fallout from war, which present the appearances unlikely to be averted.

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

ARF consists of the 10 ASEAN members plus Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, North and toward the south Korea, New Zealand, Papua recently made known Guinea, Russia and the US

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