Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
July 22, 2008

ASEAN Foreign Ministers to Discuss N. Korea, Wednesday 
-------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1D587FD:A6F02AD83191E1602636CC56BAC506B4A13B8D4F2090AB2B&
 
Meeting will be highest-level gathering of six parties involved in talks
since they began in 2003 
China says the foreign ministers from nations involved in talks on
North Korea's nuclear program will meet informally Wednesday during the
ASEAN forum in Singapore.Officials had announced previously that such a
meeting would take place this week, but did not say exactly when. The
ministers are expected to discuss ways to verify North Korea's
declaration of its nuclear activities, submitted six months past the
December deadline.The meeting will be the highest-level
gathering of the six parties involved in the talks since they began in
2003 between North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, and the
United States. Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice downplayed the importance of the meeting, saying she would not
call the talks historic, monumental or even consequential. She said she
will make it clear that North Korea must meet its obligations.Rice
and her North Korean counterpart, Pak Ui-chun, will see each other for
the first time in Singapore. But the U.S. State Department says there
are no plans for a separate meeting between the two diplomats during
Rice's stay Wednesday and Thursday.The State Department also says the
meeting will not replace an anticipated formal ministerial-level
conference. During
talks held earlier this month, Pyongyang agreed to disable its main
plutonium-producing facilities by the end of October, and allow on-site
inspections to verify its declaration.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


.