Top diplomats from Southeast Asia convened Saturday in the Laotian capital with their powerful dialogue partners in the last of the three-day regional talks that have grappled with tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea , escalating fighting in Myanmar , and regional rivalry.
Meetings on Saturday will bring together in the same room allies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - including the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India and Australia - to bolster their relationships and discuss key security issues and other regional affairs.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Saturday in Vientiane to meet with the ASEAN foreign ministers. He is also expected to meet on the sidelines with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, as both countries are looking to expand their influence in the region.
Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith opened the first meeting of the day with China, Japan and South Korea by saying he hopes the cooperation framework, called ASEAN Plus Three, will continue to "enhance our regional integration and economic resilience, ensuring that our supply chains remain robust and adaptable in the face of future challenges."
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said the cooperation between the partners has diversified beyond just financial cooperation, emphasizing the importance of not just economic cooperation but also stability, peace and security.
