Manila on Monday played host to the inaugural
meeting of the Asean-US Eminent Persons Group (EPG) in an effort to strengthen
the growing cooperation between the United States and the 10-member Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
J.
Stapleton Roy, former US Ambassador to Singapore, China and Indonesia and one
of the three US delegates to the meeting, said in a statement that they “look
forward to further deepening our current partnership and building a framework
for continued growth in Asean-US relations, to contribute to peace, stability
and prosperity in Southeast Asia and the broader East Asia region.”
Roy and
former Ambassador Rodolfo Severino, the Philippines eminent person, cochaired
the meeting.
Aside
from Roy, the United States was
represented by Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, a former US trade
representative, and Muhtar Kent, chair and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company.
According
to the US Embassy in Manila, “the objective of the EPG is to recommend actions
to the US and Asean leaders that will strengthen their relationship into the
future.”
The EPG
meeting participants discussed “strategies in areas, such as improving
development and cooperation in regional integration of Asean and review key
elements of the US-Asean partnership, including opportunities to improve
people-to-people ties, enhance trade and investment, deepen security
cooperation and improve coordination in natural disasters, as well as respond
to the global challenges of climate change, energy and food security,” the
embassy noted.
Agenda points
For its
part, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the EPG meeting, which it called a
“recommendation of Asean-US leaders,” had the following agenda points:
Review
Asean-US relations and recommend future actions, including opportunities to
enhance cooperation on regional and global issues;
Strengthen
cooperation and coordination in specific sectors, such as trade and investment,
disaster response and energy security; and
Identify
new steps for the effective implementation of the decisions of previous
Asean-US leaders’ meetings and the Plan of Action to implement the Joint
Declaration on Asean-US Enhanced Partnership.
On
Tuesday, the Philippines will also host the 25th Asean-US dialogue, a regular
meeting between Asean and US senior officials.
The
meeting will be cochaired by Foreign Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio
and Kurt Campbell, US State Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific.
They
will join other senior officials of the Asean and the United States in
exchanging views on regional and international developments, including
preparations for the 4th Asean-US leaders’ meeting in November.
Aside
from the Philippines, Asean also groups Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei
Darussalam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The
Philippines is the country coordinator for Asean-US dialogue relations from
2009 to 2012.
The
United States, on the other hand, has been a longstanding dialogue partner of
the regional bloc since Washington established relations with the multilateral
body in 1977.
Jerry
E. Esplanada
Philippine
Daily Inquirer
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