Japan, ASEAN anti-terror meet ends

Japan, ASEAN anti-terror meet ends

JAPAN: Japan and ASEAN nations wound up a two-day closed-door
meeting here on Thursday to discuss joint measures against
terrorism in the region, a foreign ministry official said.

"We do not make any announcement on what has been discussed in
concrete terms because of the nature of the topic which is
terrorism," the official said.

On the agenda at the annual consultation were threats from
international terrorism networks, cooperation to fight terrorism
in the region and other issues, according to the foreign
ministry.

The meeting was attended by government officials from Japan
and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- which
groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The meeting was held ahead of a special ASEAN summit meeting
in Tokyo on Dec. 11-12 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the
group's ties with Japan.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said last month Japan
intended to join a 1976 treaty of friendship and cooperation with
Southeast Asian nations, reversing its earlier reluctance. -- AFP