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U.S. Secretary of State to skip ASEAN security meeting again: Filipino official |
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20:26, July 11, 2007 |
The United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is reportedly skipping a major regional security meeting scheduled to be held in Manila on Aug. 2, a Filipino Foreign Affairs official said on Wednesday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official cited " conflict of schedule" as reason for Rice not to attend the 14th Association of South East Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF), known as Asia's largest security grouping that includes ASEAN dialogue partners like the United States, Russia, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the European Union.
Rice will be designating Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Christopher Hill as special envoy to the ARF, the official said.
The U.S. Embassy in Manila, meanwhile, declined to confirm the information. The U.S. Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop said the State Department has not made an official announcement on the matter.
If true, this will be the second time for Rice to skip an ARF meeting. The previous one was the ARF meeting in Vientiane two years ago.
Her absence from that meeting was reportedly due to Washinton's displeasure over ASEAN's failure to exert pressure on Myanmar.
The Philippines, which is incumbent ASEAN chair, will also host the 40th ASEAN ministerial meeting and its preparatory sessions at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasig City near Manila from July 24 to Aug. 2.
Source: Xinhua
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