(VNA) - Parliamentarians from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam have expressed their concern over the spread of the avian influenza that has severely affected several Asian countries.

In a joined statement issued after the ASEAN + 3 Parliamentarians Conference on the Spread of Avian Influenza: Prevention and Policy, which concluded in Bangkok on April 20, the parliamentarians showed their support for the joint efforts made by bird flu-affected countries and international organisations, including the Office International des Epizooties and the World Health Organisation, to strengthen and provide resources to combat the deadly disease.

They also endorsed a joint statement by the Public Health Ministers of ASEAN countries, China, Japan and the RoK at a conference in Bangkok on November 2004.

They also called for the adoption and implementation of effective strategies and measures, including strengthened infrastructure and collaboration among officials and related organisations at local, regional and international levels to prevent avian influenza from spreading widely.

The parliamentarians pledged to promote concerted efforts between the governments in fighting the disease, including the establishment of a multilateral cooperation mechanism among parliamentarians to tackle the problem./.