THE LEADERS OF CHINA AND RUSSIA ON SATURDAY CALLED FOR A MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO PROBLEMS IN ASIA AT A SECURITY SUMMIT HOSTED BY THE OIL-RICH CENTRAL ASIAN NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN. "WE CANNOT SIT AROUND GIVEN THE THREATS AND CHALLENGES THAT THE COUNTRIES OF ASIA ARE FACING TODAY,» RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SAID AT A ONE-DAY GATHERING OF THE CONFERENCE ON INTERACTIONS AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES IN ASIA, OR CICA. HE CITED TERRORISM, BIRD FLU AND AIDS AS CHIEF CONCERNS. DELEGATES REPEATEDLY ISSUED CALLS FOR PEACE AT THE SUMMIT OF THE 18-MEMBER GROUP, WHICH LAST MET IN 2002 AND IS INTENDED TO SERVE AS A PLATFORM FOR DIALOGUE ON ASIA'S DRAWN-OUT CONFLICTS AND OTHER SECURITY ISSUES. STILL, THE MEETING CAME AMID REMINDERS OF LONG-RUNNING CONFLICTS IN THE REGION: ESCALATING VIOLENCE IN SRI LANKA, REPORTED PREPARATIONS BY NORTH KOREA TO TEST-FIRE A LONG-RANGE MISSILE THAT COULD REACH AS FAR AS THE U.S. MAINLAND, AND FIGHTING WITH INSURGENTS IN AFGHANISTAN. «IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MULTILATERAL APPROACH IN THE REGION,» CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO TOLD THE DELEGATES. HE STRESSED THE NEED TO RESPECT THE PRINCIPLE OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY. THE PARTICIPANTS SIGNED A DECLARATION AFTER THE MEETING PLEDGING TO STEP UP JOINT EFFORTS TO FIGHT TERRORISM, ORGANIZED CRIME, SEPARATISM AND DRUG TRAFFICKING. IT EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR U.N. REFORMS AND THE ELECTION OF AN ASIAN CANDIDATE AS U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL, AS WELL AS INCREASED TRADE. «WE ARE CONVINCED THAT MULTILATERAL COOPERATION ... IS MORE NECESSARY TODAY THAN EVER FOR MAINTAINING REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY,» THE DECLARATION READ. THE LEADERS SIGNED AN AGREEMENT ON CREATING A PERMANENT SECRETARIAT TO BE BASED IN ALMATY AND ADOPTED A DECLARATION EXPRESSING THEIR RESOLVE TO WORK TOWARD STABILITY IN ASIA, ACCORDING TO A REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
