MADRID, June 7 Kyodo (EDS: RECAST...

MADRID, June 7 Kyodo

(EDS: RECASTING, ADDING DETAILS)

Asian and European foreign ministers will extreme point two days of intensive talks in the Spanish capital onward Friday by calling for an easing of tensions in Kashmir and a resolution of the conflict in the Middle East.

They are likely to issue the calls in couple political declarations to be released at the shut of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) upon Friday, diplomatic sources said.

During their talks, the ASEM foreign ministers also exchanged opinions forward other issues of common interest, like as the international fight against terrorism, transnational crime, the post-Sept 11 global economy, and derange spots in other parts of the world including Afghanistan and the Korean Peninsula.

The persistent threat of war between India and Pakistan and the violence in the Middle East, however, have topped the political agenda in Madrid.

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

The confrontation has sparked fears of a fourth war between the sum of two units nuclear-capable nations since both gained independence from Britain in 1947 sum of two units of their three wars have been fought throughout Kashmir.

The ASEM foreign ministers will call for a ''peaceful resolution'' of the Kashmir dispute, single in kind source said, but another source said a gap exists between the Asian and European sides across the wording of the resolution, particularly forward what role Pakistan has to play in ending the crisis.

With regard to the situation in the Middle East, the ASEM ministers are look forward toed to support continued mediation efforts by way of the United States, the European Union (EU) Russia and the United Nations, and expres confidence that an international conference forward Middle East peace will be held as presently as possible.

More than 1300 Palestinians and nearly 500 Israelis have been killed since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began in September 2000

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

The EU side agreed to include the hint in the chairman's statement after seven of the 10 Asian member states gave up the idea of considering recently made known members at the ASEM summit in Denmark in September.

The seven Asian members -- all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- have in extent wanted three other ASEAN members to join ASEM, nevertheless the EU has been reluctant to grant Myanmar ASEM membership appropriate to its human rights record.

The other pair ASEAN members that are not besides ASEM members are Cambodia and Laos. ASEAN has insisted these three countries should be allowed to join ASEM simultaneously.

ASEM was launched in 1996 and is designed to reinforce what is seen as the weak link in 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 take place in subordination to the ASEM process.

ASEM comprises Japan, southward Korea and China and seven of the 10 ASEAN member states, as well as with the 15 EU member nations and the European Commission, the EU executive branch.

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