ASEAN delegates meet in Hanoi

ASEAN delegates meet in Hanoi

HANOI (AFP): ASEAN delegates bunkered down to focus on
regional issues here on Wednesday seeking to finalize an
agreement on resolving the growing wealth gap between member
countries, officials said.

A Vietnamese ASEAN foreign affairs spokesman said forum
delegates were focusing on closing the development gap between
member countries, which range from First-World Singapore to dirt-
poor Cambodia.

Delegates were tight-lipped about the contents of talks and
media were barred from approaching officials but the Vietnamese
spokesman said discussions were continuing.

Sources said the priority remained passing a draft of the
Hanoi Declaration on ASEAN aimed at "narrowing the development
gap for energetic and sustainable growth."