The 34th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting opened in Hanoi hopeful that plans to rebuild a region hit by economic slumps and political turmoil would emerge.

Top of the ASEAN agenda is a pledge to narrow the gap between the more affluent nations and poorer members, an undertaking that appears more difficult as the effects of a global slowdown begin to seep into the region.

But before the red carpet was rolled out for the ten ministers, word that Indonesia's foreign minister was to cancel his visit overshadowed these prospects. The news has been a further blow to the meetings after North Korea's foreign minister announced his cancellation.

The forum is now seen as an acid test to measure the effectiveness of ASEAN and its credibility as a group to operate.