ATEC leaders to issue statement on terrorism

Sergei Vasilyev, a senior official representing Russia at the APEC Forum, told journalists Friday that APEC leaders meeting in Shanghai would issue a statement on terrorism as soon as it was ready for publication. He noted that eight drafts of the statement had already been considered. The drafting had run into some difficulties, particular in light of the fact that the statement would have to single out concrete measures to fight terrorism as well as denounce it in general terms. Vasilyev also pointed out that this is the first time that international terrorism had been put on the APEC agenda because all of the forum's member countries had made it clear they wanted the issue to come up for discussion because of the events in the United States although, he stressed, technically APEC was an economic forum. The statement on terrorism will fully be ready after APEC leaders hold a meeting on October 20-21. Vasilyev said they might want to amend the draft and noted it had been the subject of discussion at a meeting of senior officials representing APEC countries. The document was expected to contain an item on the threat of biological terrorism, which had been added to the draft on Russia's initiative.