US President Biden vows to work with Cambodia to promote US-ASEAN relations

In order to improve ASEAN-US relations, President Joe Biden stated that his administration is looking forward to working with Cambodia as the ASEAN chair in promoting the bloc’s “regional architecture” for bilateral agreements and institutions at the core of the Indo-Pacific.

Biden wrote a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on January 14 saying that he intends to invite ASEAN leaders to a special conference in Washington in the coming months.

“Under Cambodia’s chairmanship, the US hopes to both grow our relationship with ASEAN and continue to pursue our common goals in the region.”

According to the local media outlet, the Phnom Penh Post, Hun Sen responded by thanking Biden for the invitation and praising his desire to strengthen ASEAN-US relations during Cambodia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022. He also reaffirmed Cambodia’s strong commitment and unwavering support for the US decision to hold the summit in Washington.

This week, ASEAN countries will gather in Phnom Penh to discuss Myanmar’s ongoing crisis and regional security cooperation. An analyst has suggested that Cambodia could lobby the US to assist the Kingdom, as well as ASEAN, in settling the Myanmar situation. The meeting will also address the issue of “developing common solutions and processes” for economic recovery following the Covid-19 crisis.

SOURCE: Phnom Penh Post