Australia-RI plan regional counter-terrorism summit early 2004

Australia-RI plan regional counter-terrorism summit early 2004

Agence France-Presse
Sydney, Australia

Australia and Indonesia on Thursday discussed plans to co-host an
Asia-Pacific regional summit early next year to help better
coordinate the fight against terrorism.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer met his Indonesian
counterpart Hassan Wirayuda in Canberra to discuss the proposal.

"We agreed that Australia and Indonesia would co-host a
regional ministerial conference on counter terrorism early next
year and we've been able to work through some of the broad
details of who would be invited," Downer told reporters.

Earlier this month, Downer said the conference would bring
together ministers involved in fighting terrorism to look at way
of better coordinating their efforts.

The proposed conference would including ministers from across
Southeast and North Asia, Australia and the United States.
Downer said a venue had not been finalized but it would most
likely be held in Indonesia.