N Korean, Chinese Foreign Ministers May Hold Bilateral Talks at ASEAN Forum

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi are likely to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Forum in Laos, Yonhap reported on Saturday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — According to the news agency, the two foreign ministers will attend the Regional Forum on Tuesday in the framework of ASEAN meeting.

Ri was reluctant to disclose any details of his trip to journalists, yet nodded in approval, when asked about his meeting with Wang, the agency said.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting is being held in the capital of Laos, Vientiane on July 21-26 with ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) slated for its last day. ARF will be attended by 27 countries' representatives, including 10 ASEAN members, the EU states and North Korea.

The possible meeting comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, as Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7. The moves violated UN Security Council resolutions, prompting the United Nations to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang and Washington to announce the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea.