Top officials of international airlines in the Asia-Pacific region adopted a package of resolutions Friday to develop the area's civil aviation industry and provide better services to passengers.

Presidents of 18 member airlines of the the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines also agreed at an annual meeting at a Tokyo hotel to encourage governments in the region to quickly ratify the Montreal Convention.

The convention, which was adopted in May at the International Civil Aviation Organization's law conference in Montreal, is designed to standardize liability of carriers when passengers die, are injured or inconvenienced.

Although 52 nations have signed it, ratification by at least 30 more ICAO member states is necessary to make the convention binding.

Meeting participants also passed a resolution that they will make efforts to protect aviation radio frequencies from encroaching communications sources such as mobile phones.

For air traffic safety, the presidents agreed to encourage international airports in the region to improve their emergency response procedures in cooperation with the airlines.

The one-day meeting was chaired by Kichisaburo Nomura, president of All Nippon Airways Co., the second-largest airline in Japan. The AAPA was established in 1966 to discuss common issues among airlines and foster cooperation.

"We had very meaningful discussions at this assembly of presidents," Nomura said. "By exchanging information, we would like to work together to develop the civil aviation industry in the Asia-Pacific region."

Participants included presidents of international airlines in Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The role of AAPA chairman rotates among member airlines, and James McCrea, managing director of Air New Zealand Ltd., is scheduled to take the post next year.

AAPA Director General Richard Stirland also announced that the association's headquarter will move from Manila to Kuala Lumpur next year.