Gates, bilats, Australia, India, other bilats
(31 May 2008) SHOTLIST 1. US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates and Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba walking to microphone 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Gates, US Secretary of Defence: "I expressed our gratitude for the renewal of Japanese support in the Indian Ocean refuelling. We talked about the next steps in terms of the realignment process and reaffirmed our mutual commitment to fulfilling that process as negotiated." 3. Wide Gates meeting with UK Defence Secretary Des Browne 4. Gates and Browne 5. South Korean Defence Minister Lee Sang-Hee at podium 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lee Sang-Hee, South Korean Defence Minister: "In particular, the North Korean nuclear threat has direct and indirect ramifications for not only the Korean peninsula, but also regional stability and world peace." 7. Cutaway of cameraman 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Joel Fitzgibbon, Australian Defence Minister: "Australia is also committed to a deeper engagement with our friends throughout the Asia Pacific region, where regional security and prosperity is so closely linked to Australia's own security." 9. Indian Defence Minister, Pallam Raju walking to podium 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pallam Raju, Indian Defence Minister: "Our concerns emanate primarily from forces that idealistically challenge India's pluralistic and secular character. By exposing ethnic or religious extremism and advocating separatism, they seek to threaten the Indian identity. Many of these groups obtain sustenance from outside." 11. Gates meeting with Chinese Deputy Chief of the General Staff of People's Liberation Army, Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian 12. Officials 13. Gates and Ma walking off to a closed meeting 14. Gates with French Defence Minister Herve Morin at bilateral meeting 15. Close up Morin 16. Wide meeting 17. Ishiba shaking hands with South Korean counterpart Lee STORYLINE Defence ministers and military officials from 26 Asia-Pacific countries met on Saturday in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue conference on international security. Organisers say the annual meeting provides an opportunity for friends, foes and uneasy neighbours to meet and thrash out issues in private. In a wide-ranging speech, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates looked ahead to the next White House administration, saying the new US president would inherit the worrisome issue of North Korea's nuclear ambitions, but would continue America's enduring commitment to Asia. Later, South Korean defence minister Lee Sang-Hee also said that North Korea remained a serious threat in the region. "In particular, the North Korean nuclear threat has direct and indirect ramifications for not only the Korean peninsula, but also regional stability and world peace," Lee said. Gates said he could not make specific policy predictions for the next administration, but added that there was no change in the US's drive to temper North Korea's ambitions. On Iraq, Gates warned that impatience would have "dire" consequences for the world. The comment came amid disquiet in Asia that the US security preoccupation in other parts of the world, including Iraq, would lessen its commitment to the region. Gates also slammed Myanmar's junta, saying "tens of thousands of lives" were lost because the ruling generals prevented the international community from helping survivors of the 2-3 May Cyclone Nargis with aid. With US ships off the coast of Myanmar poised to leave because they have been blocked from delivering assistance to the ravaged country, Gates said the US would continue to try to get aid in. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
