A greater sense of regional solidarity with tsunami-hit South East Asia could be a positive aspect to the disaster that has hit the region, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said Wednesday.

Clark made the remark before she flew out for Jakarta, Indonesia, for an emergency summit organized by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to New Zealand Press Association Wednesday.

The summit was organized at short notice initially to get pledges of aid following the Boxing Day tsunami which has left more than 140,000 people dead, many more missing, and millions homeless.

In recent days billions of dollars have been pledged to disaster relief including New Zealand's cash contribution of 10 million NZ dollars (about 7.1 million US dollars) on top of other assistance.

Clark said the summit would give New Zealand and other countries a better idea of both the short-term needs and the long term requirements for reconstruction of the area.

"New Zealand is a pretty small niche player in this. So we have to work out what is the best way of us making a contribution," she said.

"I think increasingly there is a willingness to see New Zealand and Australia as part of the broader region. I am honored that we got the invitation. I think it is very significant," the Prime Minister said.

Clark said the one possible upside of the disaster would be a greater sense of unity between Asian countries and the rest of the world.

"It reminds us that we are neighbors, a regional community. Out of it might come a stronger feeling of regional solidarity. That is what we can hope for anyway."

New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff, who will attend the summit after a visit to disaster-affected southern Thailand, has said the one day conference would look at the long term reconstruction effort and the need for an early warning tsunami alert system in the area.

Source: Xinhua