By Shim Jae-yun
Korea Times Correspondent
HANOI - The 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will wrap up its session today, adopting a chairman’s statement on various international and regional issues, including the impasse over North Korea’s nuclear programs.

According to a draft of the statement obtained here, leaders taking part in the session will call for immediate resumption of the 6-way talks to help find a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue.

``The leaders will express strong support for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula through a peaceful solution and the six-party talks process,’’ according to the draft.

The leaders will encourage the relevant parties to continue to take coordinated steps to address the nuclear issue and address all related concerns, it said.

They will support the continued dialogue and cooperation between South and North Korea, which would in turn help promote peace and mutual prosperity on the Korean peninsula.

President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday called for a reform in how the United Nations are operated in order to strengthen its regional representation.

``It is time to carry out a reform of the United Nations in that it is the most influential multilateral organization and there has been a rapid increase in the number of member nations,’’ Roh said during the first summit meeting of the 5th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), which opened here Friday.

Roh’s statement drew attention as it came amid moves by some nations such as Japan to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

He stressed the need for ASEM member nations to join forces in an attempt to fight against the spreading threat of terrorism.

The summit meeting was attended by 38 heads of state from Asia and Europe. The opening ceremony was held at Vietnam’s parliamentary building.

Participants engaged in in-depth discussions over various pending issues like the role of the United Nations, global terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the spread of infectious diseases.

They also haggled over the human rights and democracy situation in military-ruled Myanmar, including whether to put the issue on the chair’s statement to be issued at the end of the session today.

In view of the growing need to tackle rapid change in the global economy, Roh encouraged the establishment of free trade agreements among member nations, saying ASEM member nations have mutually-compensating economic structures.

He proposed a new project designed to cope with possible cyber-terror and joint efforts to address skyrocketing oil prices.

Roh had a summit meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and plans to meet with heads of state and government officials from Europe today to discuss issues of mutual interest, including means to expand bilateral economic relations and to settle the North Korean nuclear impasse.

Late on Thursday, Roh met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the Daewoo Hotel to discuss issues pertaining to Koguryo, an ancient Korean kingdom, and the North Korean nuclear issue.

jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr