Rice in Singapore for ASEAN meeting

Liberia News.Net
Tuesday 22nd July, 2008

The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has touched down in Singapore to attend the ASEAN security forum.

She will meet ministers from six-nations to discuss North Korea's nuclear program.

She will also have a rare encounter with her North Korean counterpart at the talks.

Coming only weeks after Pyongyang handed over data on its nuclear activities, the US has said the meeting will be an informal exchange of views.

It will be the first such meeting between top diplomats from Japan, the US, China, Russia, and the two Koreas since the US insisted North Korea disarm in 2003.

North Korea agreed in February 2006 to end its nuclear program in return for aid and diplomatic concessions.

Officials at the meeting will also deal with the problem of deciding if North Korea has revealed all its nuclear weapons and how to deal with arsenal already revealed.

Ms Rice's attendance at the ASEAN regional forum signifies a change of heart in US policy towards Asia.

For the first time the US has appointed a permanent ambassador to ASEAN and is also talking of establishing military ties with countries in which China still has great influence: Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

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