TOKYO, June 29, 2006 (AFP) - Japan pledged Thursday to step up cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) against terrorism, saying Tokyo had a strong interest in ensuring security in Southeast Asia. Japan and ASEAN discussed ways of working more closely together against terrorism during two days of talks in Tokyo, a Japanese foreign ministry official said. One project under consideration was for Japan to help ASEAN develop a common system among the 10 nations to track down forged passports, he said. The officials agreed to hold such talks annually, with another meeting to be scheduled within the year, he said. "Counter-terrorism is an issue that Japan should seriously work on because there is a possibility that Japanese people would get caught up by terrorism overseas, even if there is no terrorism within Japan," he said. In a joint statement, officials said terrorism "constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security and economic prosperity of ASEAN and Japan". It said that countering terrorism "requires a comprehensive approach that embraces action on many fronts" including law enforcement and "addressing the root causes of terrorism". The 10 ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The official said ASEAN representatives had expressed interest in potential aid from Japan, which earlier this month decided to donate three patrol boats to Indonesia to fight terrorism and piracy. The boats mark the first time for Japan to export materiel as aid. Japan in 2004 lifted a decades-old ban on exporting weapons so it could better collaborate with the United States in developing missile defenses. North Korea fired a missile over Japan in 1998 and is reported to be preparing a new long-range launch. Japan has focused on building relations with Southeast Asia as ties remain tense with China and South Korea due to wartime memories. Japan also has a major economic interests in the security of the Malacca Strait, as nearly all of the oil destined for Asia's largest economy passes through the narrow shipping lane. knk/sct/lod