The U.S. State Department says North Korea’s nuclear issue will be at the center of discussions at the upcoming ASEAN Regional Forum set to open in Thailand next week.

Department spokesman Ian Kelly made the remark to reporters on Tuesday, saying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will have a number of bilateral meetings with nations involved to discuss North Korea and the six-way nuclear talks.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who will visit Tokyo and Seoul both this week and the next, is reportedly planning to accompany Clinton to the regional forum.

Meanwhile, the Thai government is reportedly planning to persuade North Korea to send Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun to the ASEAN gathering.

The regional meeting will open in Phuket, Thailand, next Wednesday for two days.