Top officials from 23 countries are expected to meet this week in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to discuss security threats in the region, including the North Korean nuclear crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-Sun will be among those attending the regional forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
Last week, the U.S. State Department said it expected considerable discussion on Burma at the forum, along with such issues as law enforcement and intelligence sharing.
The Jakarta Post reports senior ASEAN officials finalized a draft plan Sunday for creating a regional security program. The newspaper said it would be presented for endorsement at the ASEAN ministerial meeting on Tuesday.
Information for this report is provided by AFP.