Ministers gather for Apec meeting

Apec countries hope for a consensus on terrorism

By the BBC's Adam Brookes in Shanghai

Foreign ministers from the Asia-Pacific region are gathering in Shanghai for the Apec leaders' meeting, due to take place later in the week.

China is hoping to strengthen Apec's profile

They are expected to discuss the state of the global economy, plans for regional economic development and to prepare some sort of statement on international terrorism.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) is an assembly of countries from Asia and the Americas that aims to set a regional economic agenda.

It seeks to promote issues such as regional free trade and development, however it has been criticised in the past as an ineffectual organisation and at this year's gathering the host, China, is trying to strengthen Apec's profile.

Bush visit

Foreign ministers from 21 countries will meet on Wednesday and Thursday and leaders from those same countries are due to come together at the weekend.

US President George Bush is scheduled to attend, as is President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

It also happens to the be first such gathering of senior officials, ministers and leaders since the suicide attacks in the United States on 11 September.

The US will be looking for ways of garnering support for the international coalition against terrorism.

Included in Apec are predominantly Muslim nations, notably Indonesia, whose support for the anti-terrorist effort is circumscribed by domestic opinion.

If this week's meetings are to be called a success, the foreign ministers and leaders will have to produce some kind of consensus- driven statement on terrorism and try to push forward Apec's free trade agenda in the face of a looming global recession.