Bangkok, Oct 21: The 21-nation APEC grouping agreed today to widen its mandate to security issues, vowing to dismantle terrorist organisations and halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "We agreed that transnational terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction pose direct and profound challenges to APEC's vision of free, open and prosperous economies," the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders said in a joint declaration at the end of a two-day summit.
They committed to take "all essential actions to dismantle, fully and without delay, transnational terrorist groups that threaten the APEC economies."
The leaders vowed to eliminate weapons of mass destruction "by strengthening international non-proliferation regimes, adopting and enforcing effective export controls, and taking other legitimate and appropriate measures against proliferation".
Bureau Report