Obama pledges engagement with ASEAN
- 段亞英
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E-mail Xinhua, November 20, 2012
U.S. President Barack Obama during talks with ASEAN leaders pledged to engage in a range of issues including economic and security aspects, an official said on Monday.
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(L-R) Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, US President Barack Obama, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah join hands for a group photo at the 4th ASEAN-US Leaders' Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 19 November 2012. Cambodia hosts the 21st Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit from 15-20 November 2012. [Photo: CFP] |
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan told a press briefing after the U.S. ASEAN leaders meeting that Obama had pledged U.S. support for the centrality of the 10-member regional bloc.
"ASEAN leaders welcomed the statement on supporting ASEAN centrality in the evolution of cooperation in the region. The U.S. also pledged to engage economically and work on security and stability in the region."
Assuring of a long engagement, Obama had remarked on the rapid increase in relations between the two sides and insisted that continued meetings would result in more extensive engagement.
"All leaders were enthusiastic of more extensive relations and continuous summits that would lay down irreversible momentum for U. S. and ASEAN relations," he said.
Obama had also commended ASEAN for adopting Human Rights Declaration and commitment to address related challenges in the region.
He is also to attend the East Asia Summit on Tuesday when key global and regional issues are to be raised by the leaders of ASEAN members and eight dialogue partners.
Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Cambodia.
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