Burma to top agenda in Asean-US Summit next week

US Deputy Secretary John Negroponte will head the US delegation to the US-

Asean Post Ministerial Conference with Asean on 1 August and followed by the

Asean Regional Forum on 2 August.

He replaced US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, who could not attend the

meeting due to pressing issues in Washington DC. She missed the same meeting

in 2005.

Negroponte will review work that has been occurring under the ASEAN-U.S.

Enhanced Partnership Plan of Action. Asean expressed regret that US

President George W Bush has postponed his scheduled summit meeting with

Asean in September.

For the ARF, the US will focus on regional security. ARF is the only region-

wide security forum with 27 members.

ARF Ministers are expected to approve various institutional and non-

traditional security-related proposals that have been discussed at lower

levels throughout this past year.

US will engage countries on key regional concerns, including the North Korea

nuclear issue, the situation in Burma, and transnational security matters

such as counterterrorism, maritime security, weapons on mass destruction,

and non proliferation.

In addition to the ASEAN meetings, Negroponte individually will hold various

meetings with attending Foreign Ministers.

The Nation