They welcomed debt relief for the affected countries and supported the creation of an early warning system.

    The leaders also applauded the leading role of the affected countries in addressing the disaster, and recognized the role of the United Nations in assisting the affected countries' coordination of international assistance at the emergency relief phase.

    Present at the meeting were heads of state or government of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

    India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States and Canada sent their ministers as representatives to the conference.

    The Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the United Nations World Health Organization, the World Bank and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also sent their envoys.

    Representatives from four European countries -- Britain, Norway,Sweden and the Netherlands -- as well as East Timor attended the summit as observers. Enditem