According to China's Xinhua news agency,iIn a declaration issued at the end of a summit in Almaty, the leaders stressed the importance of adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and called for increased cooperation among Asian nations in dealing with non-traditional threats and challenges.

They should also strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, cross-border crime and drug trafficking, and in the fields of non-proliferation, trade, energy and infrastructure, the declaration said.

Efforts should also be made to promote dialogue between civilizations and prevent regional conflicts.

At the one-day summit, heads of state or government, or their representatives exchanged views on the regional situation, prevention of conflicts, the peaceful solution of disputes and adoption of confidence-building measures.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) was accepted as a formal member of the CICA at the summit, bringing to 18 the number of the group's members.

The other 17 CICA members are: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, Iran, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Ukraine, the United States, Vietnam, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the League of Arab States are observers.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the initiator of the summit, welcomed the ROK's joining as a new member of the group.

Noting that the summit focused on world security and cooperation, he called on all members to strengthen dialogue, mutual trust and cooperation to jointly address all threats and challenges so as to maintain regional security and stability.

He said all members are responsible for solving problems in the region and they should also enhance international cooperation in this regard.

Nazarbayev called for the creation of a forum to strengthen security in Asia at the 47th UN General Assembly in 1992. The first CICA summit was held in Almaty in June 2002.

In a speech delivered at the summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for building a harmonious Asia of enduring peace and common prosperity.

Hu said Asia, a continent of great diversity, is experiencing an unprecedented momentum of growth and is now economically one of the most dynamic regions in the world.

"Solidarity and coordination of the Asian countries and peoples are crucial for the success of Asia," Hu said.

He said all countries in Asia should join hands to build a harmonious Asia of enduring peace and common prosperity.

To achieve this great goal, Hu said, countries in the region should increase mutual trust and coordination to build a new type of security architecture in Asia; draw on each other's strength to make all civilizations flourish; uphold multilateralism to strengthen cooperation in the region and internationally; and seek mutual benefit and continue to deepen economic cooperation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said leaders of CICA members were meeting here to discuss the maintenance of mutual trust, cooperation, regional security and stability, and the development of the regional economy.

He said leaders of member countries agreed to combat terrorism and separatism in order to realize the above-mentioned goal.

Other leaders also stressed the importance of building mutual trust and enhancing cooperation among CICA members in their efforts to avoid conflicts, maintain security and stability, and achieve development in the region.

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