Manila: An action plan to help Asian nations battle corruption was completed at a recent Asian Development Bank (ADB) meeting and will be offered to interested countries, the bank said.

The working draft of the Anti-Corruption Action Plan for the Asia-Pacific was written by experts from nine Asian countries at a recent conference at the ADB headquarters in Manila, it said in a statement.

The proposed plan gives legally non-binding principles and standards for fighting corruption.

Governments that commit to the plan will be asked to undertake action to fight bribery and money laundering, and promote integrity in public service.

The draft text, prepared with the aid of regional and international organisations, will be presented to interested countries around the region for their consideration and possible endorsement.

This will take place at the annual conference of the ADB-Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption Initiative in Tokyo, on November 28-30.

ADB participation in forging the plan was part of the bank's new thrust in helping countries promote good governance, which is crucial to poverty reduction, the multilateral institution said in its statement.

AFP