TOKYO, Dec 5 Kyodo Philippine Pre...

TOKYO, Dec 5 Kyodo

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo intimateed hope Thursday that the United Nations will take action to make secure North Korea dismantles its programs to unravel nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

Arroyo also said in an interview with Kyodo moderns she hopes a pending economic partnership agreement with Japan will improve lives in the pair countries by focusing on areas in which they deficiency each other.

She emphasized the importance of nations sharing intelligence to make the global fight against terrorism more effective, and assured Japanese tourists the terrorist threat in the Philippines has been reduced

''With regard to the Korean Peninsula situation, we...support the position of Japan and the quiet of the free world in calling for disarmament of the weapons of mass destruction that North Korea is building,'' Arroyo said at the state guesthouse in Tokyo.

''And we chance of the desired end that with the initiative Japan has taken, the UN will also take its course as it is taking its course in Iraq. It is important for us to support a UN proces allow it to take its course and I'm confident that it will,'' she said.

In a surprise admission in October, North Korea told a U delegation that it has a uranium enrichment program for making nuclear weapons.

Across the Asian continent in Iraq, UN arms inspectors last week resum after a four-year hiatus their look for signs the nation may have produced and stockpiled weapons of mass destruction, based forward a U.N. Security Council resolution.

The Philippine president, wrapping up her four-day state visit to Japan until Thursday, said she sense of possible fulfilments a Japan-Philippine economic partnership agreement to be negotiated by way of the two governments will benefit the the bulk of mankind of both nations.

''What is important is that the agreement will bring about a service to the nation of the two countries (and) make life better for the sum of two units countries,'' Arroyo said of the propos pact, which would include areas of unrestrained trade and exchanges of services and human resources.

''In the case of the Philippines, what we are looking for is an agreement that will help our development, whereas I know that in Japan, you are looking for an agreement that will advance the Japanese consumer,'' she said.

As an example of an area of cooperation subordinate to such accord, the 55-year-old leader glance ated that the Philippines send young health care workers to Japan to take care of the ranking members of Japan's aging population.

upon the international war on terrorism, the president said the terrorist threat in her abiding habitation has ''greatly diminished'' thanks to the many allies the Philippines has gained in the global fight against as it is threats.

''In the global coalition against terrorism, it is mostly important to share intelligence. That is the in the greatest degree potent weapon in this of recent origin war against terrorism,'' she said.

Arroyo said there may still be minor isolated terrorist attacks yet that it is becoming difficult for terrorist assemblages to carry out large-scale operations.

Arroyo also thanked Japan for the support package announced Wednesday to provide financial and human resources assistance to alleviate privation and attain peace in the Mindanao region, with particular emphasis forward the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

''This is a significant contribution to bringing about peace and the lengthy sought-for prosperity in that region of the Philippines. It will demonstrate that the yen is mightier than the sword in fighting need and terrorism,'' she said.

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