LOC12:32
09:32 GMT
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (KUNA) -- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers will try hard to help quell the volatile situation over Taiwan at talks Wednesday following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, said Spokesman Kung Phoak.
"The ministers will try to find ways the bloc could help so that the situation in Taiwan will be stable, that won't lead to a conflict and won't escalate the political heat between all concerned parties," Phoak told a press conference.
Phoak, who is Cambodia's deputy foreign minister, said the meeting would seek to calm the waters, adding that matters were going in the direct direction.
The 10-member bloc is split over member states' relations with China, especially Cambodia, which is a key Beijing ally and was accused of siding with China during its rotating ASEAN presidency in 2012 over the disputed and resource-rich waters, resulting in no communique being issued.
ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to grapple with issues ranging from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to North Korean missile tests and regional security concerns. (end)
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