Australia, RI to host bio-terror summit

Australia, RI to host bio-terror summit

AUSTRALIA: Australia and Indonesia will co-host a summit in
February aimed at reducing the possibility of bio-terror attacks
in the region, Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill said on
Wednesday.

The summit will also try to prevent any countries in the
region from "inadvertently" assisting with the development of
biological weapons elsewhere, Hill said in a statement.

"By holding this workshop, Australia and Indonesia continue to
demonstrate their strong commitment to stopping the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and keeping our region free
of biological weapons," Hill said.

"There are increasing concerns about the possibility of
terrorists acquiring WMD, including biological weapons, and we
see a valuable role for this workshop and follow-up activities in
reducing the possibility of bio-terrorism in our region," he
said.

Participants from throughout Asia have been invited to the
conference, which will be held in the Australian city of
Melbourne, Hill said. --Reuters