ASIA JOINS LAT-AM IN DRUGS FIGHT

LATIN-American and East Asian foreign ministers on Friday raised concerns
on international threats such as human trafficking, narcotics and arms
dealing that are facing and affecting the two regions.

Colombian Foreign Minister Carolina Barco said the member-countries must
acknowledge that social, political and economic differences, along with
other threats, disturb the region.

"After intense discussions, we identified a series of new threats to our
security, of many different kinds. One was poverty, another was social
exclusion, another was pandemics, not to mention natural disasters,
terrorism, drug trafficking, arms dealing and more," Barco said at the
opening ceremony of the second meeting of the foreign ministers at the
Philippine International Convention Center.

She said the member-states have agreed to deal with the issues more vigorously.

"We therefore concluded that all these threats require joint and decisive
action by our States. They require international cooperation, shared
responsibility and solidarity to block their disastrous effects on our
nations and on our fellow citizens. They demand urgent and frank
discussion, since the dangers the Americas have identified are not alien to
Asia, or indeed to anywhere in the world," Barco added.

Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Norman Cardenal expressed intention to bring up
the issues in the forum and encourage regional cooperation against drug
trafficking, illegal immigration and arms trafficking.

"We have to step up our cooperation against the trade in narcotics and
other transnational crimes. Our cooperation against terrorism is the only
way to come up with long-term effects," Cardenal said in a separate interview.

The Fealac senior leaders have also proposed a working group on politics
and security that would be chaired by Singapore and Chile.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert called on member-states to take a
stronger stance on the two-pronged global challenges on the economic and
security fronts.

"We should explore the feasibility of a regular dialogue among Fealac
delegations to the United Nations, World Trade Organization and other
relevant forums. Understanding each other, we can forge a stronger
partnership between our more economically developed and developing members.
Thus, Fealac--all of us together--can make positive, more decisive impact
on other forums," Albert said.

The Manila Plan of Action to be adopted Saturday by the foreign ministers
will also spell out the position of Fealac members on the agriculture
issues before the WTO.

Fealac is composed of 32 member countries from the two regions, with
Guatemala and Nicaragua as new members.

East Asia comprises Asean countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, along
with Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Latin America is composed of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Uruguay and Venezuela.