Lahore, Apr. 18 : Concerned by the increasing extremist activists and their expanding writ in the area, the European Commission (EC) has adopted a new three-year programme to fight terrorism, trafficking and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The programme, which is developed by the EC together with experts from European Union (EU) member states, also includes Africa's Sahel region, The Daily Times reports.

EC's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, while announcing the the first global counter-terrorism measures developed by the commission on the eve of the of the donors' conference for Pakistan , said it has an important role to play in the fight against terrorism, by supporting capacity building in third-world countries such as Pakistan and in the Sahel region.

Commenting on the non-proliferation programme developed by the commission, Waldner said the prime focus in the programme would be on Middle East, South and South-East Asia.

"In the area of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, our ambition is to consolidate the work already carried out in the former Soviet Union and focus more on new regions of concern such as the Middle East, South and South-East Asia," Waldner added. (ANI)