Asia-Pacific region defense chiefs meet in Hawaii Eds: APNewsNow.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) Top defense officials from 24 nations in the Asia-Pacific region discussed how to combat piracy and deliver disaster assistance at a meeting in Hawaii.

The U.S. Pacific Command hosted the three-day Chiefs of Defense conference at Ko Olina resort in West Oahu.

Bangladesh and Japan were among the two dozen nations represented at the meeting. But some of the biggest defense powers in the region including China, India and Russia skipped the conference.

Pacific Command commander Adm. Robert Willard said Thursday that leaders shared how they delivered disaster aid to Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga after last month's tsunami.

They also spoke about preventing piracy from becoming as large a problem in the Asia-Pacific region as it already has become off the coast of Africa.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-29-09 2216CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list