Apec foreign ministers vow to counter terrorism

LOS CABOS - Apec foreign ministers have emerged from a meeting committed to putting in place multilateral measures to counter international terrorism.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said there was "a strong feeling" that joint action was needed, and he expected details of an action plan to emerge within days.

"To ensure that these measures have an impact, they must be on a multilateral basis," Mr Goff said.

He joined 20 other Foreign Ministers from Asia-Pacific nations at the conference, held a day ahead of the leaders' summit which opens at this Mexican beach resort today.

Ministers bemoaned the hostage crisis at a Moscow theatre and condemned the car-bomb attack in Bali and the spate of bomb attacks in the Philippines.

They also adopted a sweeping US plan to improve aviation security and secure maritime cargo shipments, fleshing out their desire to ensure global terrorism cannot disrupt the free flow of trade.

"We condemn and we regret the recent terrorist attacks in Bali, Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia," said Mexican Economic Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez, on behalf of his colleagues after their formal meeting, a precursor to a weekend leaders' summit.

The attacks were a "tragic reminder of the importance of maintaining a united, committed and sustained effort to ensure that terrorism does not prevent Apec from achieving its goals", Mr Derbez said.

Prime Minister Helen Clark was due to arrive late last night and open a round of bilateral meetings today.

Her first scheduled meeting is with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, followed by 30 minutes of talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

On the agenda for both meetings will be the Bali bombing, and the measures Indonesia has put in place to tighten its security.

Today and tomorrow Miss Clark will join the other leaders, including United States President George W Bush, to discuss regional security and international trade.

This year's summit has the twin focus of countering terrorism and finding ways to liberalise trade between member states.

Those do not sit easily together, because strict border controls inhibit exports and imports and make clearance procedures more expensive.

This problem, Mr Goff said, would test the political will of nations, which would find the new screening technology for exported and imported goods very expensive.

"It will put pressure on New Zealand, but we can do it. I'm not sure that some others will be able to."

Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, US, and Vietnam.

- NZPA