APEC aims at bird flu, trade talks impasse
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-19 15:10

Pacific Rim leaders joined forces on Saturday to fight threats to their economies from a possible a bird flu pandemic and the impasse in world trade talks.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's 21 leaders also voiced concern at the end of a two-day summit about the impact of high oil prices on their energy-hungry economies and agreed on steps to ease supply and demand strains.

The group, which includes the United States, Japan, China and Russia, issued its statement of priorities after morning talks at a seafront retreat in the South Korean port city of Pusan.

The leaders emerged into the sunlight for a traditional photograph wearing a costume from the host country.

In this case it was long Korean durumagi silk coats: U.S. President George W. Bush in blue, China's Hu Jintao in saffron and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in a silver matching his mane of hair.

They vowed to work together to fight the spread of bird flu, setting out a few specific plans including one to stage a "desktop" simulation drill in early 2006 to test regional responses and communication in the event of a pandemic.

A lethal strain of the H5N1 virus has killed 67 of the 130 people it has infected in Asia since late 2003, but the real fear is that it will mutate and acquire the ability to pass from human to human, causing a global pandemic.

"We agreed on collective, practical measures, including ... testing pandemic preparedness, beginning with a desktop simulation exercise in early 2006 to test regional responses and communication networks," the declaration said.

Highest on their agenda was a strong call for the deadlock in free trade talks to be broken and progress made towards a final deal at a meeting in Hong Kong next month.

But the group -- which includes countries that face domestic resistance to liberalising their own markets -- stopped short of naming the European Union.

APEC'S CREDIBILITY

The 25-nation EU has been widely criticised as the trade talks spoiler for refusing to open its long-protected markets further to agricultural imports unless developing nations improve access for industrial goods and services.

Australia and the United States pointed a finger of blame at the EU at the talks, and on Friday South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said bluntly "the ball is in Europe's court".

But Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told a news conference: "If you try and get a decision on everything, I think that Hong Kong will not be successful".

APEC is sometimes dismissed as a talking-shop with little clout and an over-crowded agenda. While its leaders focused squarely on the biggest dangers to their economies, many of their promised initiatives appeared to fall short on detail.

On high oil prices, for instance, they did not spell out steps for energy efficiency, conservation and diversification.

Howver, they did agree to work more closely against terrorism, sharing intelligence, cutting off the flow of funds and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The streets around the venue -- tucked away safely on an islet around the corner from Pusan's biggest tourist draw, Haeundae beach -- were quiet under a heavy security cordon.

Hundreds of protesters marched in the heavily guarded town, but there was no repeat of Friday's clashes between riot police and crowds demonstrating against globalisation and free trade.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said the leaders wanted to see more substantive progress in talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes.

He said they welcomed progress so far, including a September joint statement that outlines an aid-for-dismantlement package.