PM Lee to make working visit to Washington for Asean-US Special Summit

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make a working visit to the United States from May 10 to 14 to attend the Asean-US Special Summit, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Monday (May 9).

He and other Asean leaders will meet US President Joe Biden in Washington, where the leaders will review the current comprehensive Asean-US Strategic Partnership and discuss ways to further strengthen Asean-US cooperation for the future, said PMO.

The Asean leaders will be hosted to dinner by President Biden on May 12 and have a meeting with him on May 13, where they will also exchange views on regional and global issues.

This is the second special summit between the US President and Asean leaders since 2016, when then-President Barack Obama hosted South-east Asian leaders and the Asean secretary-general for a two-day summit at Sunnylands in California.

This week’s summit also builds on the momentum from the 9th Asean-US Summit held virtually in October 2021, which President Biden attended, said PMO in its statement.

At last year’s summit, Mr Biden announced US$102 million (S$142 million) in new initiatives to expand US engagement with Asean on Covid-19 recovery and health security, fighting the climate crisis, stimulating broad-based economic growth, promoting gender equality, and deepening people-to-people ties.

Last month, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the upcoming special summit will demonstrate the US’ enduring commitment to Asean, recognising its central role in delivering sustainable solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges. The summit will also commemorate 45 years of US-Asean relations.

During the visit, PM Lee and other Asean leaders will also be hosted to a working lunch by US Vice-President Kamala Harris, and a lunch with US congressional leaders hosted by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

They will also participate in a meeting with Vice-President Harris and a group of US cabinet secretaries, and these discussions will focus on climate action, clean energy transition and sustainable infrastructure.

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PM Lee will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Communications and Information.

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will be the Acting Prime Minister during Mr Lee’s absence, said the PMO. THE STRAITS TIMES