Mr Hun Sen today said, “We can’t wait endlessly. The Khmer Rouge leaders are too old and could be dead before a trial.”

Mr Vajpayee said India had agreed to assist Cambodia in a number of areas and added that relations with “this traditional friend” would be “broadened and deepened”.

The areas in which India will assist Cambodia include the setting up of a museum for traditional textiles, setting up of computer kiosks and providing experts to that country in diverse fields.

The three agreements that were signed between the two countries related to the conservation of the Ta Prom temple, air services and visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders.

Mr Vajpayee thanked Mr Hun Sen for playing a pivotal role in influencing ASEAN members, as a result of which the first-ever India-ASEAN summit is scheduled to take place in November.

After the meeting between the two Prime Ministers, delegation-level talks took place.

Earlier in Singapore, in an obvious reference to Pakistan’s patronage to terrorism, Mr Vajpayee said “totalitarian regimes” were responsible for the spread of terrorism and called for a comprehensive security framework in Asia to tackle the menace.

Mr Vajpayee said while ethno-nationalist violence and terrorism fed by extremism needed to be suppressed and eradicated, there were no effective solutions within national boundaries.

“They have to be tackled through a cooperative approach, holistically and regionally. But unlike other continents with formal politico-security cooperation frameworks like OSCE, OAS and OAU, Asia does not as yet have a comprehensive security framework.”

Delivering the Annual Singapore Lecture — 2002 here, Mr Vajpayee said India and ASEAN were now poised to intensify their political and security dialogue to add a new dimension to a mutually beneficial and economic and commercial relationship.

Without naming Pakistan, he said it was not surprising that terrorism was supported and sponsored only by undemocratic societies and totalitarian regimes.

The Prime Minister, addressing an illustrious gathering at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, noted that a cooperative security framework was now gradually evolving and developing in Asia Pacific. The ASEAN Regional Forum, with Southeast Asia at its nucleus, was developing into a unique platform for security dialogue.

The Prime Minister also highlighted non-military threats to the security of Asia such as poverty, food and energy shortage, population growth, spread of AIDS and tuberculosis, environmental degradation and cyber crime.