Asia-Pacific leaders called on Europe to be more flexible at world trade negotiations as they opened an annual summit Friday, warning crucial talks next month on freeing markets could be the last chance to make progress toward that goal anytime soon. "We're basically saying that now the ball is in Europe's court," South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told journalists after leaders of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum started a two-day summit in the port city of Busan. As the leaders met, rock-throwing protesters clashed with riot police who sprayed them with high-powered water hoses about 500 meters (yards) from the summit venue. The demonstration was on the other side of a river from the summit, which wasn't interrupted in any way, The Associated Press reported. At the meeting, leaders including U.S. President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a bid to revive the stalled global free trade talks while pledging unity in combatting bird flu and terrorism. --MORE 1349 Local Time 1049 GMT
