| Leaders of 16 Asia-Pacific countries have
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| | North Korea's nuclear ambitions have
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| pledged to speed up economic integration,
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| | featured prominently in the talks.
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| and have called on North Korea to abandon
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| | Meeting for the first time since North
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| its nuclear weapons programs. The
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| | Korea's October nuclear test, Mrs. Arroyo
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| statements came at the end of the East
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| | reiterated the leaders' call for
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| Asia Summit meeting in the Philippine
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| | Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear
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| city of Cebu, where VOA's Heda Bayron has
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| | programs.
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| filed this report.
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| | "We urge North Korea to take concrete and
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| Philippine President Gloria Arroyo says
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| | effective steps toward the full
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| progress over the past several days among
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| | implementation of the Joint statement of
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| leaders and foreign ministers from
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| | September 19 of 2005," she said.
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| Southeast Asia and its Asia-Pacific
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| | In that 2005 statement, the North pledged
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| neighbors has bought the region a step
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| | to end its nuclear programs, in exchange
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| closer to full economic integration.
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| | for economic and security guarantees from
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| Mrs. Arroyo says the Association of
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| | the United States and other countries.
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| Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, which
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| | Japan, South Korea and the U.S., along
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| held its separate summit meeting here
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| | with China and Russia, North Korea's
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| Saturday and Sunday, can play a key role
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| | traditional allies, have been trying for
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| in reaching that goal.
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| | the last three years to persuade North
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| "We can become a dynamo as the hub and
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| | Korea to give up its nuclear programs.
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| core of East Asia immersed in robust,
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| | The last round of negotiations ended in
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| open trade from within the region and
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| | December with no progress. Pyongyang and
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| across the oceans," she said.
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| | Washington are at odds over financial
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| ASEAN wants to create a common market for
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| | sanctions imposed by Washington to halt
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| its 10 members by 2015, and eventually
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| | Pyongyang's alleged counterfeiting and
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| expand that to include its six major
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| | money laundering activities. The North
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| regional trading partners: Japan, China,
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| | Koreans want those sanctions lifted as a
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| South Korea, India, Australia and New
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| | precondition for any concessions on the
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| Zealand. Such a bloc would include almost
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| | nuclear issue.
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| half the world's population, and a fifth
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| | On Monday, the Asian leaders also called
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| of its current world trade.
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| | on Pyongyang for the first time to
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| On Monday, as leaders of all 16 nations
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| | address the issue of Japanese and South
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| gathered in Cebu for the second annual
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| | Koreans abducted by North Korean agents
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| East Asia Summit, the leaders pledged to
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| | over the past several decades.
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| accelerate regional free trade.
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| | The leaders agreed to cut dependence on
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| Agreement on a wide range of issues has
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| | oil and to seek renewable energy
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| been reached here over the past week,
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| | supplies, at a time when high oil prices
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| from trade and investments, to migrant
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| | and rapid economic growth raise
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| workers' rights, to cooperation on
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| | competition among Asian nations for new
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| counterterrorism.
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| | energy sources.
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