Asian security forum to adopt rules for quick-reaction group

MANILA (AP) - Foreign ministers at Asia's top security forum are expected to formally adopt rules next week for creating a group that will respond quickly to emergencies, officials said Friday, in a move seen as enhancing the forum's role beyond an annual talk-shop.

Senior officials of the ASEAN Regional Forum, a 27-member group that includes the U.S., China, Russia and the European Union, have agreed on the operating rules for the "Friends of the ARF Chair" -- a group of three foreign ministers who will assist the ARF chairman in dealing with regional and international problems, Foreign Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio said.

"After two years it will be adopted, it has been endorsed by the ministers," she added.

ARF, founded in 1994 by the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has been hobbled by the diversity of its members and its consensus-based decision making. Since its birth, it has focused on building trust among its members through dialogue and confidence-building measures.

The ad hoc group will be constituted for a specific task by the ARF chairman as the situation warrants, including in times of emergency and threats to regional peace and stability, according to a draft document.