Foreign and trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperationforum, in a joint statement, "reiterated the commitment of each APEC member economy to fight terrorism and secure trade flows."

The two-day gathering in the Chilean capital Santiago sets the pace for a weekend summit.

Ministers pledged to "eliminate the danger of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery" and set up guidelines to control of Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS).

MANPADS are surface-to-air missile systems designed to be carried and fired by a single person.

Controls were planned "to prevent terrorists from obtaining and using these weapons to attack civilian aviation," the statement said.

APEC leaders, including US President George W. Bush, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Hu Jintao, will take up the ministerial statement at their tightly guarded summit here.

Since the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States, terrorism has penetrated deeper into the debate of APEC, which formerly concentrated only on the economy and trade.

The added focus on terrorism and security in this year's meeting was to make sure the APEC region was "well equipped to deal with the threat," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

"Not surprisingly, there was a strong degree of unanimity," he said.

US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick defended the greater attention on security, saying it was crucial for trade flows.

The ministerial statement stressed "determination not to allow illicit nuclear activities in our region," calling for "expanded transparency on nuclear-related activities."

The APEC ministers also "condemned, in the strongest terms, all acts of terrorism, including the most recent barbarous acts in Russia and Indonesia."

More than 330 hostages, half of them children, were killed in a shootout after a group of armed commandos stormed a school in Beslan, north Ossetia in Russia September 1. And eight days later, a blast at Australia's Jakarta embassy killed nine people.

Aside from terrorism, ministers supported a swift conclusion to World Trade Organization (WTO) efforts to get a new deal freeing up global trade.

They also supported measures to contain oil price shocks, set some guidelines for the proliferation of regional or bilateral trade arrangements, and sought reforms to boost efficiency, including anti-graft measures and greater transparency.

The nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula, seen as the biggest security threat in the region, was not on the agenda. US Secretary of State Colin Powell however led discussions on the standoff with his counterparts.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has refused to attend the fourth round of the six-party talks after rejecting Washington's aid-for-disarmament offer.

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States participate in the talks along with North Korea.

The 15-year-old APEC forum comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

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