HANOI, Nov 17, 2006 (AFP) - The United States vowed its support Friday to help Southeast Asian nations fight AIDS and bird flu and improve the region's ability to cope with the aftermath of natural disasters.
In a joint statement, they said they had set priority areas in which they could improve cooperation between Washington and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
It includes programs to be implemented on improving ASEAN's capacity "to combat emerging infectious diseases," including HIV/AIDS and avian flu.
Washington will also help ASEAN states respond to, and recover from, the impact of natural disasters, combat corruption, promote intellectual property rights protection and study how to develop alternative energy sources.
The statement was issued on the eve of a summit between US President George W. Bush and leaders of seven ASEAN states on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Vietnam.
Three ASEAN members, including military-ruled Myanmar, are outside APEC.
"This is a significant development," a Singapore foreign ministry spokesman said.
"The US has played a unique and irreplaceable role in promoting stability and growth in East Asia, and ASEAN and the US have enjoyed a long-standing, close and fruitful relationship."
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a speech to business executives here on the margins of the summit that the Asia Pacific region was estimated to account for 70 percent of deaths caused by the world's natural disasters.
More than 200,000 people were killed in Indonesia when a tsunami triggered by an earthquake hit the province of Aceh in December 2004.
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