Apec vows to liberalise commerce

[CHIMO]

Asia-Pacific leaders have pledged to push free trade and combat terrorism while condemning North Korea's October 9 nuclear test, with security issues once again overshadowing the group's annual meetings.

The chairman of the forum, Nguyen Minh Triet, said North Korea's actions is "a clear threat to our shared interest of peace and security".

Reading out a statement on Sunday in Hanoi that he delivered earlier to the leaders at their closed-door summit, Triet, who is Vietnam's president, said they stressed the need to implement UN sanctions imposed on North Korea after the October 9 test and expressed support for the six-party talks.

All the countries involved in the six-way dialogue to end North Korea's nuclear programme were in Hanoi except for the North Koreans themselves.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/358F02C6-0B7B-45DC-A1F5-E70255D5135A.htm