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