Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Bandar Seri Begawan, Aug. 1 (VNA) -- Regional peace and security have been threatened by among others terrorism, transnational crimes, and regional conflicts, Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien has warned the ninth ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Addressing the regional forum in Brunei on Wednesday, July 31, Minister Nien also spoke of environmental deterioration and epidemics, and the particularly negative impacts of the on-going process of globalisation, which has been widening the development gap between nations.

He noted that peace and cooperation for development remain the prominent trend in the Asia-Pacific region.

In order to bring into full play its role as a forum for dialogues and political and security cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, the ARF should adopt a comprehensive approach, underlining the importance of confidence building measures (CBMs), Nien stressed. He added that CBMs should be considered as the main driving force throughout the course of ARF in order to strengthen mutual trust, understanding, and cooperation within the forum.

Foreign Minister Nien also pointed to Viet Nam's contributions to the forum over the past year, stressing its efforts with the international community in strengthening peace and stability on the Korean peninsula through frequent high-level contacts with leaders of both the DPRK and the ROK. He pointed to the fact that President Tran Duc Luong of Viet Nam paid official visits to the ROK and the DPRK, in Aug., 2001 and Apr., 2002, respectively.

Foreign Ministers attending the 9th ARF welcomed the decision to resume talks between the two Koreas and between the DPRK and the U.S.

They were of the same view that in its capacity as an important security cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region, the ARF has obtained continued progress in solving regional security issues through CBMs and made initial inquiry into preventive diplomacy.

The key role played by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the operation of the ARF was welcomed by the participants, who also praised the operational efficiency of the 2001-02 inter-sessional working group on CMBs co-chaired by Viet Nam and India.

The ARF should strengthen practical measures in conformity with its original principles and the specific conditions of each member country, and international cooperation to counter terrorism. The fight against terrorism, the participants noted, must not be linked with religious or ethnic issues.

The FMs also welcomed the estalishment of an inter-sessional meeting on counter-terrorism and transnational crimes. Brunei, in its capacity as chairman of the forum, issued a statement on measures to choke off terrorist finances.

The participants stressed the importance of a gradual shift to preventive diplomacy from CBM. They affirmed the adoption of documents on "Strengthening the role of the ARF Chairman", "Concept and principles of preventive diplomacy" and "ARF expert and renowned figure registration" at the 8th ARF in Ha Noi last year as important achievements of the forum.

They encouraged efforts toward the maintenance of the ARF's steady progress in conformity with the specific conditions of all member states, the principle of consensus, and the orientations agreed upon by member countries.

Cambodia will serve as chairman of the next ARF.

The ARF consists of 10 ASEAN member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as non-ASEAN countries, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Republic of Korea (ROK), Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the U.S.--Enditem