KEY POINTS:
HANOI - Asia-Pacific nations are set to approve a series of measures to fight terrorism in a region that boasts some of the world's highest growth rates, Vietnam's deputy foreign minister said today.
Achieving a consensus among the 21 nations of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on the measure was not easy, said Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung, who chaired a conference of senior officials preparing for this week's Apec meetings in Hanoi.
Senior officials approved the report of an Apec Special Task Force on Counter-Terrorism, Phung said in a statement at the end of their two-day conference.
South Korea's Park Sang-ki will be the new chairman of the special task force for the next two years.
"This is a very important result, showing clearly the hosting role of Vietnam, because this is a sensitive area. Many issues of 2006 could only be agreed upon at the last minute," Phung said.
A review of security and anti-terrorism measures since the Sept. 11, 2001 hijacked plane attacks in the United States said terrorism remains a threat.
"Terrorism is now accepted as a direct challenge to Apec's vision of free, open and prosperous trade and an affront to the fundamental values that Apec member economies share," a report circulated among senior officials said.
"It is a threat to the region's economic stability, peace and security."
Among the proposals Apec leaders will be asked to approve include:
- mitigate threat of bioterrorism and collaborate to combat the terrorist threat of deliberate contamination of food supplies
- protect border operations by streamlining communications in the event of an attack
- upgrading aviation security
- counter-terrorism financing workshops
- business continuity plans after an attack
The initiatives will put to Apec's meeting of foreign ministers on Friday and the leaders' summit on Saturday.
It signals a significant move away from the group's founding goal of bolstering trade and investment around the Pacific rim.
Security officials fear a major terrorist attack would strike a severe blow to Apec economies that account for nearly half of global trade, 40 per cent of the world's population and 56 per cent of the world's gross domestic product.
- REUTERS
