ASEAN ministers seek Myanmar breakthrough with 'troika' model

MANILA/JAKARTA -- Foreign ministers from Southeast Asian countries are convening in Laos this week for a series of meetings as the shadow of regional instability, underscored by civil unrest in Myanmar and tensions in the South China Sea, looms large.

Laos, this year's chair for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will host the gatherings in its capital, Vientiane, with the bloc's main ministerial meeting scheduled for Thursday. Expanded meetings, which include ASEAN's key partners like China, Japan and the U.S., are scheduled through Saturday.