Arroyo, Abe condemn nuke test

President Arroyo and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met yesterday for a one-day summit, condemning North Korea’s nuclear test and vowing to quash global terrorist threats.

In a joint statement, Mrs. Arroyo and Abe "expressed their grave concern" about the Korean peninsula, blasted North Korea for its October nuclear test and urged the country to give up nuclear weapons.

The two leaders also "shared the view that the threat of terrorism remains a regional and global security concern and reaffirmed their determination to prevent, suppress and eliminate all forms of terrorism," according to the statement, signed at Malacañang following talks by the leaders.

Abe arrived in the Philippines late Friday amid heightened concerns over possible security threats. He was also to have taken part in two regional summits in Cebu this coming week, but those were canceled due to an approaching storm.

The US, Britain and Australia warned Thursday that terrorists might be in the final stages of planning an attack during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia summits in Cebu.

The Japanese government, citing terror fears in the Philippines, was also urging its citizens to be cautious while in the country.

The Philippines said terror fears played no role in the postponement of the summits.

Mrs. Arroyo and Abe "condemned the recent missile launches and the nuclear test conducted by North Korea, and urged Pyongyang to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs," the statement said.

Their position on North Korea echoes recent international criticism of the communist country.

Abe, Mrs. Arroyo and other leaders of the 21-member APEC, or Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, in a forum last month in Vietnam criticized North Korea, urging it to take "concrete and effective" steps toward nuclear disarmament. — AP