Asian leaders to wind up summit with energy pact

PHILIPPINES: Asian nations will sign an energy security pact calling for investments in renewable energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, ending a summit marked by warming ties between Japan and China.

Leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand will also discuss liberalising trade in financial services, documents made available to Reuters show. Natural disasters and pandemics are also on the agenda, and the leaders are expected to endorse a birdflu prevention "road map" sharing best practices.

The leaders will unite in support of enforcing U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea after its nuclear and missile tests last year, and of the six-party talks aimed at inducing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapon ambitions.

A draft of an energy security agreement, approved by foreign ministers last week, offers no regional targets for emissions, but calls for investments in ethanol and biodiesel plants.

The Philippines, which holds ASEAN's rotating chairmanship, raised the spectre of a regional nuclear arms race in talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, which have led Tokyo to start a debate on whether to drop its own ban on developing atomic arms.

"It may be tempting for Japan to consider becoming a nuclear weapon state, particularly after the nuclear test by DPRK (North Korea) last 9 October," Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo told Abe.

Cebu ,Monday, Reuters