(Kyodo) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has confirmed plans to attend a key ASEAN meeting on regional security to be held in Kuala Lumpur in July, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Wednesday.
"I have spoken to Condoleezza twice and she confirmed she will be coming," he told reporters, alluding to the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Rice skipped the last ARF meeting, which was held in Vientiane in July 2005, marking the first time for a U.S. secretary of state to be absent since the inaugural ARF meeting was held in 1994.
Her absence then was criticized by some as undermining U.S. influence in Southeast Asia. It was also read as a U.S. snub of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for not pushing hard enough for democratic reforms in military-ruled Myanmar, an ASEAN member since 1997.
ARF, the biggest security forum in the Asia-Pacific region, brings together the 10-member ASEAN and 15 other countries including influential players like the United States, the European Union, China, India, Japan and Russia.
Syed Hamid said this July will see the participation of a new member, Bangladesh. ADVERTISEMENT
Myanmar may again steal the limelight in the Kuala Lumpur meeting, but Syed Hamid said the issue would not dent ASEAN solidarity.
"There is a desire on the part of ASEAN to be seen as cohesive and united. Of course, the problem of Myanmar is there, but I think it should not in any way affect ASEAN progress," he said.
Other things expected to be discussed include the hike in fuel prices and global terrorism.
The ASEAN Regional Forum is part of a series of annual meetings that begin with the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, followed by their meeting with counterparts from key trading partners, and then the ASEAN Regional Forum where the focus is on regional security.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The 25-member ARF also includes Australia, Canada, East Timor, North and South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.
"I have spoken to Condoleezza twice and she confirmed she will be coming," he told reporters, alluding to the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Rice skipped the last ARF meeting, which was held in Vientiane in July 2005, marking the first time for a U.S. secretary of state to be absent since the inaugural ARF meeting was held in 1994.
Her absence then was criticized by some as undermining U.S. influence in Southeast Asia. It was also read as a U.S. snub of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for not pushing hard enough for democratic reforms in military-ruled Myanmar, an ASEAN member since 1997.
ARF, the biggest security forum in the Asia-Pacific region, brings together the 10-member ASEAN and 15 other countries including influential players like the United States, the European Union, China, India, Japan and Russia.
Syed Hamid said this July will see the participation of a new member, Bangladesh. ADVERTISEMENT
Myanmar may again steal the limelight in the Kuala Lumpur meeting, but Syed Hamid said the issue would not dent ASEAN solidarity.
"There is a desire on the part of ASEAN to be seen as cohesive and united. Of course, the problem of Myanmar is there, but I think it should not in any way affect ASEAN progress," he said.
Other things expected to be discussed include the hike in fuel prices and global terrorism.
The ASEAN Regional Forum is part of a series of annual meetings that begin with the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, followed by their meeting with counterparts from key trading partners, and then the ASEAN Regional Forum where the focus is on regional security.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The 25-member ARF also includes Australia, Canada, East Timor, North and South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.
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