The ASEAN Regional Forum will open in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Friday.

The regional gathering will draw foreign ministers from 26 countries, plus the European Union, and will include the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Participants will discuss key regional issues, including those concerning the Korean Peninsula and Myanmar, and will exchange views on both global and regional security matters.

In particular, the sinking of the “Cheonan” naval ship and North Korea’s involvement in the incident are likely to emerge as topics, given that the foreign ministers of all the member states of the six-way nuclear talks will attend Friday’s forum.

Other topics will include additional security issues concerning the Asia-Pacific region, such as Iran’s nuclear program and Afghanistan.

During the forum, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan will reportedly urge Pyongyang to assume a responsible position on the Cheonan incident and will explain Seoul’s stance regarding the naval case.