CANBERRA, Nov. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Monday urged countries in the Asia-Pacific region to cooperate to enhance efforts to combat nuclear and radiological terrorism.

    Downer made the call in a speech to an Asia-Pacific conference of government ministers and diplomats on nuclear safeguards and security in Sydney, Australia's largest city.

    Mohamed El Baradei, chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was also at the two-day conference.

    Although nuclear and radiological terrorism remains less probable than conventional attacks at present, it deserves greater attention now than it has received in the past, Downer said.

    Terrorists have already tried to develop chemical, biological and radiological capability and there is no doubt that they would use these weapons, or even nuclear weapons, if they had them, saidDowner.

    "Terrorists could more readily obtain radioactive material -- such as the radioactive sources commonly used in medicine, science and industry -- to produce a 'dirty bomb', which could disperse radioactive contamination over a wide area," he said.

    "Nor can we dismiss the possibility of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility, " he said.

    National governments can not deal with this threat in isolation,he concluded, adding cooperation, including making full use of the advice and assistance available from the IAEA, is essential.

    He also proposed to establish some form of regular regional consultations to facilitate the best practice of safeguards and security culture and to improve the sharing of experience on nuclear security and safeguards issues. Enditem¡¡