Seoul: External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha arrived in Seoul on November 10 to attend the second ministerial conference of the Community of Democracies which is set to issue two separate declarations on combating terrorism and supporting Democracies and to hold bilateral meetings with some of his foreign counterparts.

Sinha will be co-chairing a round table on 'Media and Democracy' with the Czech Republic on November 11, official sources said.

Sinha, who is leading the Indian delegation to the three-day meeting would attend the convening group foreign ministers' meeting and a dinner hosted by the South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister M Choi Sung Hong later in the evening.

During his stay in Seoul, Sinha will have bilateral talks with his South Korean counterpart as well as some other foreign ministers.

"We are in the process of finalising the minister's other bilateral meetings," a senior Indian official said.

Sinha is expected to meet with the US delegation as well as with the former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright.

The Seoul conference is expected to deliberate on two documents-a declaration on terrorism and Seoul action plan for furthering and supporting Democracy.

"The threat that terrorism poses to democracies and the special vulnerabilities of open societies are likely to come under focus," an official source said.

The minister is visiting the region days after India and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) held fruitful talks in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh to enhance all round co-operation.

Four ministerial round tables on consolidating Democratic institutions, regional co- operation to promote democracy, media and Democracy and co-ordinating Democracy assistance would be held.

"Foreign ministers from participating democratic nations are expected to exchange views on measures for multilateral co-operation at the regional and global levels," a South Korean official said.

The Community of Democracies is an international coalition of the democratic countries to foster co-operation for the protection and consolidation of Democracy.

It was launched at a ministerial meeting in Warsaw, Poland in June 2000. 103 countries participated and countries like US, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and India took an active part in the first meeting.

The Seoul Conference is the second meeting at the ministerial level with its theme on 'Democracy: investing for peace and prosperity'. Foreign ministers from 118 democratic nations have been invited as full participants.

At the Seoul conference, participants will build upon the results of the first conference in Warsaw to discuss concrete measures to promote co-operation at the regional and global level, a South Korean official said.

In recognition of the importance of close collaboration with NGOs in the promotion of democracy, a community of Democracies non-governmental forum would be held in parallel with the ministerial conference.

PTI