SUVA, Aug. 16 Kyodo Leaders of th...

SUVA, Aug. 16 Kyodo

Leaders of the 16-member Pacific Islands Forum, including Australia and novel Zealand, tackled issues of terrorism, upright governance, global warming and the transportation of radioactive material during the first day of their two-day annual summit in the Fiji capital Suva forward Friday.

Climate change and rising sea on a levels were contentious issues at the meeting, with Australia still expressing its opposition to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol onward global warming.

Australia is the solitary forum member that has not signed the agreement that requires industrialized countries to shape their greenhouse-gas emissions from 1990 horizontals by an average of 52% between 2008 and 2012

There was an ''amicable discussion'' between leaders about Australia's refusal to sign the protocol, fresh Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark told reporters during a break at the summit.

Pacific states felt forcibly about the protocol, particularly countries that believed their countries could be submerg by the agency of rising sea levels as a deduction of climate change, she said.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard later told reporters that although the abiding habitation hadn't signed the agreement, it would achieve its greenhouse gas emissions station out under the protocol.

''We are not willing to sign the protocol at near because we don't think it is in Australia's best interest to do so'' he added.

The member states reached agreement in succession the need to renew their commitment and cooperate in the fight against terrorism, he said.

''It's still something that weighs heavily in succession the minds of everybody at this meeting and no united should assume that the Pacific, tranquil and benign as it normally appears, is liberated of potential terrorist treats -- it's not,'' Howard said.

The frail economies and volatile politics of an Pacific countries were also a belong to for the leaders.

''Good governance is solution to economic growth,'' Howard said, adding without stable law and order and institutional confidence nations could jeopardize economic aid.

''Donor countries will continue to support aid if they believe the aid is being used wisely and if they believe efforts are being made to improve governance,'' he said. ''That ultimately is the responsibility of political leaders within individual countries.''

Fiji Prime Minister and forum chairman Laisenia Qarase added there was a ''pressing need'' to equip Pacific economies to better withstand international economic downturns and take advantage of global growth

The leaders speaked unease about current instability in the Solomon Islands and agreed monitoring of the land would continue by forum watchers he told reporters at the conclusion of the first day's discussions.

There was also matter at the slow progress by means of nations transporting radioactive materials end the Pacific Ocean in regard to compensation in the circumstance of an accident, Qarase said.

forward July 4, two British freighters, carrying 3680 kilograms of plutonium-uranium mixed oxide combustible matter departed Japan en route to Britain via the Pacific.

''We call in succession shipping states to meet with forum members as betimes as possible to discuss the seriousness of this from our perspective, at the highest political horizontal possible,'' he said.

The leaders agreed to admit the not long ago independent nation of East Timor as a special student to the forum and approved an application by means of India to be a post-forum dialogue partner from 2003 he added.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo of the present days International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group