Participants at a seminar of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on
Tuesday agreed to strengthen security cooperation.
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Representatives from foreign ministries of 23 ARF members and
officials in charge of security issues such as anti-terrorism and
drug control, delivered proposals on enhancing cooperation among
Asia-Pacific countries.
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The seminar, sponsored by the Foreign Ministry, was held in Sanya,
a scenic city in south China's island province of Hainan, between
March 7 and 8.
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Participants agreed that new threats, including terrorism,
transnational crime and infectious diseases, have risen markedly in
recent years, bringing uncertainty to regional security even though
the overall situation in the Asia-Pacific region was generally
stable.
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These new issues have emerged against a complicated political,
economic and cultural backdrop and should be tackled thoroughly and
comprehensively, participants said.
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While enhancing their own capacities for dealing with them, all
countries should actively support and participate in international
and regional initiatives, they said.
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The participants spoke highly of the achievements made by the ARF
in encouraging dialogue and cooperation to fight terrorism and
respond to other issues, and called for all concerned to further
this.
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Plans for the seminar were first aired at the 11th Foreign
Ministers' Meeting of the ARF, which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia
last July.
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Initiated in 1993, the ARF is the primary forum enhancing political
and security cooperation in the Asia Pacific region and pivotal in
building regional peace.
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2005)