A Laotian girl in traditional dress waits in a welcoming line for the arrival of foreign ministers and other delegates to the 13th ASEAN-EU ministers meeting at Laos' national culture hall in Vientiane December 11, 2000. The European Union and Association of South East Asian Nations kicked off their first ministerial talks in more than three years with the atmosphere soured by the issue of Myanmar and the failure of many senior European Ministers to turn up.

JIR/PB