SANTIAGO (AFP) - Asia-Pacific leaders wrap up an annual summit, falling in line behind US President George W. Bush`s "war on terror" and backing his anti-nuclear drive against North Korea and Iran.
Murmurs of disquiet on the handling of the US-led anti-terrorist drive were almost drowned out in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which all but ditched its usual agenda of trade and economics.
Weekend talks conclude Sunday with an informal "retreat" in the neoclassical La Moneda palace of Santiago, followed by a joint statement.
Nuclear fears injected a new scale of concern over global security.
"I can report to you today that having visited with the other nations involved in this collaborative effort that the will is strong, that the effort is united, and the message is clear to (North Korean leader) Mr. Kim Jong-Il: Get rid of your nuclear weapons programs," Bush said in a speech to business leaders.
Three rounds of multilateral talks have taken place since the stand-off began in October 2002, but North Korea boycotted a fourth round of talks scheduled for Beijing in September.
A senior White House aide, briefing reporters on condition he not be named, said North Korean officials had let China know in recent weeks that Pyongyang was prepared to return to the talks, but "when, or how, or who, they did not say."
Bush leveraged support at the summit to give Iran warning over reports that the Islamic republic has accelerated production of uranium material that could be used to make nuclear weapons.
"This is a very serious matter, the world knows it`s a serious matter, and we`re working together to solve this matter," he said.
"It`s very important for the Iranian government to hear that we are concerned about their desires, and we`re concerned about reports that show that prior to a certain international meeting, they`re willing to speed up processing of materials that could lead to a nuclear weapon," Bush said.
Diplomats told AFP on Friday that Iran is producing the uranium feedstuff that could be used to make nuclear weapons, only days before it is due to introduce a promised ban on all such enrichment activities.
Later, Bush discussed the issue in a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin who "is on the same page as far as the goal is concerned," a senior Bush aide said on condition he not be named.
"They both agree that they need to maintain the pressure on Iran and that, clearly, both agree that a nuclear Iran is not in our interests; we need to work to prevent that from happening," the official said.
Asked whether Putin agreed that Iran should not have a civilian nuclear program, the official replied: "No that`s not what we said. It was nuclear weapons."
"We appreciate the efforts of the governments of France, Germany and Great Britain to convince the Iranians to give up any nuclear ambitions they may have," Bush said.
"And the reason why they`re involved is because they do believe that Iran has got nuclear ambitions, as do we, as do many around the world," said the newly re-elected US president.
The US State Department had said earlier in Washington that if reports that Iran was making the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas that is the feed used to make enriched uranium proved to be true, it would further erode Tehran`s already shaky credibility on nuclear matters.
Iran claims its nuclear program is a strictly peaceful effort to produce electricity and agreed to a full enrichment suspension as a confidence-building measure.
Iran had agreed last Sunday to suspend all uranium enrichment activities, in an accord worked out with EU negotiators Britain, France and Germany in order to keep Iran from being sent to the Security Council when the IAEA`s 35-nation board of governors meets in Vienna next Thursday.
Bush held a series of rapid-fire meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun.
In the meeting with Hu, Bush got support from China over the North Korean nuclear threat.
"Both sides expressed the hope that the issue can be solved peacefully, through dialogue," Hu told reporters after the encounter.
"The leader of North Korea will hear a common voice," Bush predicted in a joint appearance with Koizumi.
"We ... agreed to continue to place importance on the six-party talks process concerning North Korea, and that we would also continue to pursue a diplomatic solution to dismantle all their nuclear programs," said Koizumi.
"All of the president`s interlocutors were encouraged to speak to North Korea and encourage North Korea to return to the six party format," said US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Washington`s Asia-Pacific partners also showed some caution Saturday, warning that the US-led anti-terrorist campaign must include a resolution to the Palestinian question and involve a broader coalition.
"It is not in the interest of our planet to have a proportion of the Muslim world world deeply alienated from the West," New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark told a business conference.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said it was not possible to check international terrorism "by unilateral, egocentric action carried out in the manner of punitive retaliation," while Philippine President Gloria Arroyo called for a wider antiterror coalition.
The core APEC business of trade and economics was briefly resurrected when business executives, sipping bottled water at zinc-colored curvy bars, mingled with the leaders Saturday to sell their idea for a regional free trade area.
But the plan seemed to get a mixed reception.
Chile, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Singapore back the free trade area plan while others such as China, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia were cautious or opposed it, APEC sources said.
On Saturdasy, several hundred anti-Bush, anti-APEC protesters marched peacefully in Santiago, a show of calm after clashes with anti-riot police the previous day in which three people suffered bullet wounds and 250 were detained.
11/21/2004 - 07:40 GMT - AFP