Anti-terror Declaration with US Caps ASEAN Annual Meetings

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 02, 2002

Anti-terror Declaration with US Caps ASEAN Annual Meetings

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The signing of an anti-terror declaration between ASEAN and the United States capped the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meetings ending Thursday in Bandar seri Begawan.

The declaration was signed by US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Brunei Foreign Minister Mohamed Bolkiah in the presenceof foreign ministers from other ASEAN member states.

Describing the document as "very important," Powell told a newsconference at the end of the four-day gathering that it "really focuses on such things as exchanging information, exchanging intelligence, building the capacity to do this in a more effectiveway and strengthening our overall ties."

Powell also seized the opportunity to dismiss fears by some ASEAN nations that the anti-terror accord could lead to the deployment of US troops in Southeast Asia.

It's a "political" declaration that ASEAN and the United Stateswill use in the months and years ahead to do more work together, he said, adding: "But I don't anticipate this declaration is a basis for any increased US military presence in the region."

"We are not looking for new bases or new places to send our US troops," he said.

Fears over the possibility of bringing in US troops had prevented ASEAN nations from finalizing the declaration at their foreign ministers' meeting here earlier this week.

The signed declaration keeps a paragraph the US side was initially unwilling to accept -- "Recognizing the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other states."

The paragraph was added in at the request of Indonesia and Vietnam.

The declaration says ASEAN and the United States viewed "acts of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed wherever, whenever and by whomsoever, as a profound threat to international peace and security, which requires concerted action to protect and defend all peoples and the peace and security of the world."

"The participants reaffirm the importance of having a frameworkfor cooperation to prevent, disrupt and combat international terrorism through the exchange and flow of information, intelligence and capacity-building," the declaration says.

ASEAN and the United States promised to continue and improve intelligence and terrorist financing information sharing on counter-terrorism measures.

The two sides also agreed to enhance liaison relationships among their law enforcement agencies and tighten transportation, border and immigration control.

The accord was a major achievement of Powell during his ongoingwhirlwind eight-nation Asia tour, which has already taken him to India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. He will leave for Indonesia Thursday night and then travel on to the Philippines.

Powell reportedly will offer support to Indonesia in reining inits militants.

By offering the United States the accord, ASEAN was trying to please and win financial support from Washington, which has viewedthe region as a weak link in the fight against terrorism, observers here say.

ASEAN has tried painstakingly to change the perception that theregion is a breeding ground for terrorists. ASEAN foreign ministers focused their discussions on terrorism at this gatheringand initiated an anti-terror joint statement at Wednesday's ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

ASEAN countries have already cooperated closely with the UnitedStates in fighting terrorism after the September 11 terror attacks.

In the Philippines, US troops were invited in to help train government forces fighting Abu Sayyaf extremists, which have been notorious for kidnappings and allegedly have links with Al-Qaeda terrorists blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks.

In Malaysia and Singapore, Al-Qaeda-linked cells plotting to attack US interests were smashed.

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