Diplomats seek consensus on pressing regional issues

The 46th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting began on Sunday at the International Convention Center in Brunei Darussalam.

A series of Ministerial meetings will also be held following the AMM, namely the Post Ministerial Conferences, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the third East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

The discussions at the 46th AMM are expected to focus on the progress of implementing the decisions made at the 22nd ASEAN Summit, held on April 24 and 25, including matters related to the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community. A joint communique will be adopted at the end of the meeting.

ASEAN foreign ministers, in their capacity as the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Commission, are also expected to adopt a revised Plan of Action to Strengthen the Implementation of the Treaty on the SEANWFZ.

ASEAN's annual Post Ministerial Conferences, held on Sunday and Monday, will focus mainly on the review and future direction of cooperation with each of its dialogue partners, namely Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

On Sunday, ASEAN, together with China, Japan and South Korea, convened the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

-Xinhua