MADRID, June 7 Kyodo Asian and Eu...

MADRID, June 7 Kyodo

Asian and European foreign ministers set ined the second and final day Friday of talks to call for an easing of tensions in Kashmir and a liquidation of the conflict in the Middle East.

They are likely to make the calls in sum of two units ''political declarations'' to be issued at the choke of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in succession Friday, diplomatic sources said.

in succession Thursday night, Jose Ramos-Horta, foreign minister of the newly independent East Timor, addressed the ASEM dinner meeting as a visitor speaker.

During the brace days of talks, the ASEM foreign ministers are also likely to touch in succession other issues of mutual pertain to such as the international fight against terrorism, transnational crime, the post-Sept 11 global economy, and perplex spots in other parts of the world including Afghanistan and the Korean Peninsula.

The threat of war between India and Pakistan and the violence in the Middle East, allowing have topped the ASEM's political agenda in Madrid.

India and Pakistan have opened about a million troops along their border in a standoff triggered by means of a December attack on India's parliament that of the present day Delhi blames on Pakistani-based militants.

The confrontation has sparked fears of a fourth war between the couple nuclear-armed nations since both won independence from Britain in 1947 couple of their three wars were fought above Kashmir.

The ASEM foreign ministers will call for a ''peaceful resolution'' of the Kashmir dispute, single in kind source said. But another source said the Asian and European sides have still to narrow the gap athwart the wording, especially on what character Pakistan has to play in ending the crisis.

Turning to the Middle East, the ASEM ministers are awaited to support continued mediation efforts to be made by the agency of the United States, the European Union (EU) Russia and the United Nations, and voice trust that an international conference upon Middle East peace will be held as pretty soon as possible.

More than 1300 Palestinians and about 500 Israelis have been killed since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation hurl forthed in September 2000.

In an ASEM chairman's statement awaited to be issued Friday, the ministers are also stake to welcome the release of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in May after 19 month of house arrest as the right gradation toward restoring democracy in military-ruled Myanmar.

ASEM was launched in 1996 and is designed to reinforce what is said to be the ''weak leg'' of the three-way relationship among Asia, Europe and North America.

It involves summits, and foreign, economic and finance ministerial talks. The Madrid gathering is the fourth to be held beneath the ASEM process.

ASEM comprises China, Japan, southerly Korea and seven of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, together with the 15 EU member countries, plus the European Commission, the EU executive branch.

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