Terror on agenda at lawmakers forum

Terror on agenda at lawmakers forum

CAMBODIA: Cambodia urged fellow Southeast Asian nations on Monday to cooperate in the fight against terrorism at a meeting here of lawmakers from across the region.

Cambodian national assembly president Prince Norodom Ranariddh urged members to share information at a meeting held four days after a suicide bombing at the Australian embassy in Jakarta killed at least nine and injured more than 180.

"In one stroke a terrorist act could paralyze our regional peace, security and development," Ranariddh told the meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO).

"We must be constantly alert on this matter by establishing a regional exchange of security information and making cooperative and joint efforts to safeguard our regional peace, stability and unity."

Ranariddh, the chairman of the meeting, also called on ASEAN delegates to work toward addressing the growing gap between rich and poor in the region.

The meeting gathers lawmakers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with observers from Australia, China, East Timor, Europe, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Russia. --AFP