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