Suicide blasts give new urgency to ARF meet

The 24-member Asean Regional Forum (ARF), which includes many Muslim nations, is also expected to emphasise that terror attacks, mostly blamed on Islamic extremists, are not associated with religious groups.

"The attacks in Egypt and London have given a sense of urgency to the ARF meeting in Laos," a senior foreign ministry official from a member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) told AFP.

"Similar attacks have happened in our region and although we have increased cooperation, we certainly need to do more to combat these kinds of threats," said the official, requesting anonymity.

Most members of the ARF -- including the United States, Russia and the Philippines -- have been struck by terrorism, with many attacks blamed on affiliates of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network.

Many are also allies in the US "war on terror" including the ARF's newest member, Pakistan, which launched a crackdown on militants groups after the July 7 suicide bombings which killed more than 50 people in London.

"To have this happening in London, in Europe, I think is a reminder that this kind of threat is not the monopoly of our region," said Marty Natalegawa, spokesman for the foreign ministry of Indonesia, which has been the target of several attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

"So what's important in this meeting is to provide the solutions so that... countries which have been affected by this sort of calamity can share their experience and share what kind of steps they have taken," he said.