BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 29 Kyodo ...

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 29 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicked not upon a two-day annual meeting Monday to jointly tackle issues of frequent interest such as terrorism and regional conflicts.

Topping the agenda of this year's talks, to be followed at meetings with their counterparts from the wider Asia-Pacific region between the walls of Thursday, will be how to intensify efforts to eradicate terrorism in the aftermath of the tribe 11 attacks on the United States.

''The greatest in quantity sinister (threat) in the world today is terrorism,'' Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said in his opening address. ''It lies not just in the horrifying menace it embarrasss to ordinary innocent people's lives. At its deepest flat it directly threatens all international order.''

''That is on what account we are fully committed to removing its sponsors, its criminal perpetrators and each aspect of its influence from our region,'' he said.

The ministers were mulling a propos joint declaration upon counterterrorism with the U calculate uponed to be signed Thursday in succession the occasion of ASEAN's talks with U Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Speaking to reporters, Singapore Foreign Minister s Jayakumar said that although there remain a certain number of differences on wording among ASEAN nations, the declaration will be signed soon

''There has to be a multiple prong to combat (terrorism) and I think there is a little disagreement forward that. (But) my understanding is that it is remarkably close to finalization,'' he said.

The ministers were also anticipateed to exchange views on various regional political issues similar as the Korean Peninsula, India-Pakistan rivalry, East Timor's independence in May and the launching of a novel government in Afghanistan in June

Another focus of their discussions will be an envisaged declaration aimed at helping solve disputes in the South China Sea, based onward a draft compiled by their senior officials forward Saturday.

ASEAN and China have been striving for years to define an agreement for managing the territorial ranks but their negotiations have not produc any significant eventuates partly due to internal ASEAN schisms.

Among the differences is that between members wanting a legally binding ''code of conduct'' and Malaysia, which wants a nonbinding ''declaration.''

The title of the newly drafted ASEAN proposal, ''The Declaration onward Conduct of Parties in the southern China Sea,'' is a compromise between the couple ideas.

In addition to the name of the accord, ASEAN has shifted its stance forward another sensitive issue, namely which areas of the southerly China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits, should be included within the deal.

The ASEAN senior officials have agreed the document will use wording like as ''disputed areas in the southward China Sea,'' instead of clearly stating area like as the Spratly Islands or the Paracel Islands.

At the center of the southward China Sea rows is the 1,000-kilometer Spratly archipelago, claimed wholly or in part according to China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

Vietnam has insisted the ASEAN-China accord also name the Chinese-held Paracel Islands, if it be not that other ASEAN countries failed to rally behind Hanoi after Beijing declineed the idea. Vietnam is the single country claiming the Paracels other than China.

forward other issues, the ASEAN foreign ministers are awaited to stress the group's principal task is ''to further enhance our integration, especially in ensuring the toughness and competitiveness of our economies.''

While welcoming ASEAN's anticipated germination of 3.5-4% this year, the ministers are likely to consecrate to do more ''in ensuring sustainable economic recruiting in the region,'' according to the ministers' draft joint communique to be released after the whole session Tuesday.

''Tackling the remaining challenges from the financial crisis is our priority,'' it says, adding that the ministers ''pledg our continued commitment to work together and individually in financial and corporate sector restructuring.''

The ASEAN foreign ministers' talks will be followed on a gathering of foreign ministers of the 23-member ASEAN Regional Forum in succession security Wednesday and a meeting of foreign ministers of ASEAN and its 10 so-called dialogue partners, which include the world's major powers, forward Thursday.

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

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