TOKYO, Feb 6 Kyodo Cambodia will ...

TOKYO, Feb 6 Kyodo

Cambodia will test to help defuse tension forward the Korean Peninsula by the agency of calling on some fellow members of a regional security forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to discuss the issue, Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong said Thursday.

Hor Namhong said in an interview with Kyodo moderns at a Tokyo inn he intends to consult members of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which Cambodia generally chairs, and possibly set up a small arrange to assist him in finding ways to interpret North Korea's nuclear standoff.

''Maybe in the surpassingly very near future, I will take counsel ARF members to view if we can set up a small form into groups of what we call 'friends of the chair' in order to put to proof to see how we could contribute to defuse (the nuclear) crisis of North Korea,'' he said.

nevertheless Hor Namhong, who doubles as Cambodia's senior minister as well as minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, hinted that Japan is not wait fored to be among members of the small group

''Japan is individual of the countries most directly troubleed by this problem. Therefore, if I have to stake up this small group, I would pitch upon the countries which are not directly relate toed by the problem,'' the 67-year-old native of Phnom Penh said.

The minister said he has placed forward hold the possibility of having the ARF work upon a declaration to be issued in June when it possesss an annual ministerial meeting in the Cambodian capital because he could not gain a consensus from the 23 member countries.

''I have already submitted to all members brace draft declarations, but we have no consensus,'' he said. ''Among 23 countries, it is really difficult to gain a consensus on the issue...And North Korea rebuffed the draft declarations.''

Hor Namhong said he visited North Korea in December in his capacity as chairman of the ARF to better understand the country's position in the situation.

He said Pyongyang officials told him they have not said they posses nuclear weapons, said they want to live in peace with all other countries and insisted onward having a nonaggression agreement with the United States.

Saying that the entire international community wants the issue to be resolv peacefully, the minister added, ''What I'm happy (about is that) the U Japan, toward the south Korea, North Korea all have said that they all wish to determine peacefully the issue.''

Regarding last week's riot at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh triggered according to a controversial local media report, the foreign minister emphasized that it is an ''isolated case'' and does not point to instability or security question s in Cambodia.

He admitted that the Cambodian restraint could not respond promptly and sufficiently to the demonstrations on Cambodian mobs who torched and bootyed the embassy as well as Thai businesses in the capital because it had ''underestimated'' the outbreak of violence.

The rioting ended after a local newspaper reported Jan. 18 that popular Thai actress Suwanan Kongying said she would accept an invitation to perform in Cambodia sole if the temple of Angkor Wat in northern Cambodia was replyed to Thailand. The actress denied having made of that kind remarks.

Hor Namhong visited Thailand en way to Japan and held talks with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other officials Tuesday in a bid to patch up bilateral ties.

The Cambodian minister said Bangkok has decided to cast back its top diplomats to Phnom Penh and to reopen the border between the sum of two units countries by Friday.

Hor Namhong is forward a five-day visit to Japan by means of Sunday at the invitation of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He met with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi forward Thursday evening and is scheduled to visit Osaka in succession Saturday.

ASEAN form into groupss Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ARF consists of ASEAN members and Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, North and southern Korea, New Zealand, Papua just discovered Guinea, Russia and the US

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