THE HAGUE, Dec. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the European Union (EU) leaders on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, security and sustainable development throughout the world.

    In a joint statement issued following their one-day summit, the leaders expressed their strong support for revitalization and reform of the United Nations (UN) in order to be able to cope with existing and new challenges and threats.

    They emphasized that the report of the UN High-Level Panel should serve as a basis for discussions in this regard and the need for any plan of reform to be decided by consensus through consultation.

    The two sides stressed the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and attached considerable importance to enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation in this area.

    The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the fight against terrorism and underlined the leading role of the UN with respect to this area.

    "Anti-terrorism action must accord with purpose and principles of the UN Charter and the norms of relevant International Law and fully respects human rights," said the joint statement.

    Premier Wen Jiabao and the EU leaders, represented by European Council President Jan-Peter Balkenende and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of common interest.

    The leaders welcomed the restoration of full sovereignty to Iraq and supported the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1546 in support of the political process in Iraq, including elections in 2005.

    The two sides also stressed their firm commitment to the reconstruction and stabilization of Afghanistan, in cooperation with the Afghan government.

    The leaders agreed on the goal of a nuclear-weapons free KoreanPeninsula and expressed the conviction that the issue could be settled peacefully through dialogue. Enditem