ASEM Leaders Vow to Cooperate on Terrorist Fighting

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 24, 2002

ASEM Leaders Vow to Cooperate on Terrorist Fighting

The fourth Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM) being held in Copenhagen adopted on Monday a declaration on cooperation against international terrorism.

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The fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) being held in Copenhagen adopted on Monday a declaration on cooperation against international terrorism.

Recalling the terrorist attacks on the United States last year, leaders from the two regions' 25 countries and the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), said in the declaration that they had in-depth discussions on "various newsecurity challenges, especially international terrorism and its possible links with transnational organized crime."

"We pledge to work together to combat this threat to global peace and security, sustainable economic development and political stability, and emphasize that the fight against terrorism must be based on the principles of the UN Charter and basic norms of international law," they said.

They also emphasize the importance of "sustaining the momentum of international cooperation against terrorism and the leading role of the United Nations."

"We acknowledge that terrorism, including its possible links with transnational organized crime such as money laundering, trafficking in human beings and arms as well as the production of and trafficking in illicit drugs, forms part of a complex set of new security challenges. This calls for a multifaceted approach tothe problems we are facing."

All partners of ASEM, China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN's seven members, the EU's 15 members and the EU executive, said they are determined to strengthen consultation, cooperation and coordination "on new security challenges by expanding ASEM initiatives directed against the scourge of terrorism and transnational organized crime."

"Our cooperation will build upon the unique ASEM dialogue and cross-cultural understanding. We reject any attempt to connect terrorism with any religion, race or nationality, and also reject any notion that we can be divided along these lines," they said inthe declaration, which was adopted at the first meeting of the two-day summit.

The Asian and European leaders also decided to cooperate on short-, medium- and long-term programs including various terrorist fighting measures. According to the short-term agenda of activities, an ASEM seminar on anti-terrorism will be held in China next year before the fifth ASEM foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia "in order to discuss how to strengthen the UN's leading role and ASEM cooperation on anti-terrorism."

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