Party On II

Two new guests have joined the party, the fireworks guy still no where in sight

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Yonhap) — South Korea and the United States opened a group meeting here Friday with eight of their shared allies to discuss a broad range of Northeast Asian security issues.

The informal gathering, chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, brought together top officials also from China, Russia, Japan, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun did not show up at the largely symbolic meeting despite intensive efforts to avert its boycott of any multilateral talks on its missile and nuclear program on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) under way in Kuala Lumpur.

Paek said earlier that his country can’t rejoin the six-way talks on its nuclear program amid the U.S. sanctions against the communist state, according to South Korean delegates at an Asian security meeting.

The minister even threatened to quit the ARF if it adopts a joint statement denouncing the missile tests when it ends later in the day.

The participating nations in the 10-way meeting stressed that it was not aimed at further isolating North Korea.

“It’s going to be a general discussion on (security) issues in Northeast Asia,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters. “It’s not a new grouping, just a discussion.”