17 September 2010 - President Benigno S. Aquino III will attend the 2nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-United States Leaders' Meeting to be held in the afternoon of September 24 in New York.
President Aquino to Participate in 2nd ASEAN–U.S. Leaders’ Meeting
The Heads of State/Government of the 10 ASEAN Member States will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss progress on ASEAN-U.S. cooperation, as well as exchange views on international and regional issues.
For the 2nd ASEAN-US Leaders' Meeting, a Joint Statement is expected to be adopted that will highlight important areas of ASEAN-US cooperation.
The Leaders' Meeting is also expected to pave the way for the creation of an ASEAN-U.S. Eminent Persons Group that will make recommendations for the forging of a Strategic Partnership between ASEAN and the United States in the fields of political-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.
The Philippines is the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-US dialogue relations for 2009 to 2012, and President Aquino is expected to play a key role in the meeting.
As Country Coordinator, the Philippines shepherds cooperation between ASEAN and U.S., particularly the implementation of the outcome of the Leaders' Meetings, the directives of Foreign Ministers issued during the annual Post-Ministerial Conference session with the U.S., and the Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership.
The ASEAN-U.S. Leaders Meeting, which is hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, symbolizes the increasing level of engagement and regional cooperation between the ASEAN member states and the U.S.
Earlier this year, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting-Post Ministerial Conference in Viet Nam. Secretary Clinton extended President Obama's invitation to the ASEAN Heads of State to come to the United States in the fall for their second meeting.
President Obama also wrote to the current ASEAN chair and Vietnamese President Nguyan Minh Triet and extended his invitation to all the ASEAN leaders.
He reiterated the U.S. policy of reinvigorating engagement with ASEAN, which it regards as a key partner in the promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
This will be the second meeting between ASEAN and U.S. leaders in the 33-year history of ASEAN-U.S. relations, first established in 1977 to further strengthen political, security and economic relations of ASEAN and the United States.
The 1st ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting was held in Singapore on 15 November 2009, wherein the Leaders issued a Joint Statement highlighting the renewed ASEAN-U.S. engagement, with the U.S. stressing that ASEAN is an invaluable and trusted partner whose role in Asia and the world is growing. END