Phnom Penh (FN), May 13 – American president Joe Biden announced over USD 150 million in initiative for development in ASEAN region.

The US Embassy in Cambodia wrote on Facebook on Friday as follows:

“Today, the US and ASEAN will inaugurate a new era of partnership, guided by the complementary objectives of the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the US and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. In that spirit, president Biden is announcing over USD150 million in initiatives which we expect will mobilize billions more in private financing that will deepen US-ASEAN relations, strengthen ASEAN centrality, and expand our common capacity to achieve our shared objectives.”

The two-day special summit marks the 45th anniversary of Washington-ASEAN relations and the first physical meeting between the two sides since 2017. Eight out of 10 ASEAN leaders are attending the meeting. Philippine’s president Rodrigo Duterte, whose term expires in June, decided not to attend, while Myanmar's senior general Min Aung Hlaing is not invited due to diplomatic reasons. However, both countries have appointed representatives to participate in this summit.
=FRESH NEWS