ASEAN July meet set for Hanoi

ASEAN July meet set for Hanoi

HANOI (Reuters): Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold their annual meeting from July 23-24 in Hanoi, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said in a statement the gathering would be followed by the eighth meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on July 25 and a Post- Ministerial Conference from July 26-27.

Senior officials from the ARF member countries met in Hanoi last week to prepare for the July meetings.

The ARF, which focuses on security and defense, comprises ASEAN, the 15-member European Union, the United States, Russia, China, Japan, North and South Korea, Australia, Canada, India, Mongolia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is due represent the United States at the July ARF meeting.