Asia-Pacific plans regional exercises for disasters

By Bill Tarrant SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asia-Pacific nations are calling for greater civil-military coordination in dealing with major disasters, according to a draft declaration to be adopted after their meeting on Thursday. The ASEAN Regional Forum, which brings together the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations with Asia-Pacific powers, held wide-ranging talks about threats to the region's security and prosperity. But much of the emphasis in the document was about disaster management in a region that has seen international aid efforts mounted after a major cyclone in Myanmar and a devastating earthquake in China in recent months, and where worries persist about a potential bird flu pandemic. One of the sticking points, it notes, will be to find a template for agreements that would allow foreign military... [read full story]