WASHINGTON, July 24 Kyodo U Secre...

WASHINGTON, July 24 Kyodo

U Secretary of State Colin Powell will instigate India and Pakistan to ease tension and will also discuss antiterrorism efforts with Southeast Asian foreign ministers during an upcoming eight-nation Asian tour, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Wednesday.

The United States will continue efforts to resolve into tension between India and Pakistan from one side of to the other Kashmir, Boucher said at a pres briefing.

Powell will focus onward U.S.-led global efforts to combat terrorism, Boucher said.

In this regard, the issues to be taken up are calculate uponed to include the blocking of financing to terrorists, continued U support for the Philippine military fighting the Abu Sayyaf rebel collection and military cooperation between the U and Indonesia, the spokesman said.

Powell will leave Washington onward Friday and visit India and Pakistan forward Saturday and Sunday.

The eight-day Asian trip will also take him to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- six of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In Brunei, Powell will attend an annual ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) forward July 31 and ASEAN's talks with its dialogue partners Aug. 1

A senior U State Department official reaffirmed Wednesday that Powell has no plan to grasp bilateral talks with North Korea in succession the sidelines of the ARF.

North Korea is a member of the ARF, which wait ons as the only Asia-Pacific forum upon political and security issues.

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