THE UNITED States is looking to enhance
cooperation with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
to boost its economy amid a downturn, a US diplomat said yesterday.
"If
the US economy is to recover, it has to pay attention to the fastest-growing
economies of the world including ASEAN," said J. Stapleton Roy, a former
US ambassador to Singapore, China and Indonesia, during the US-ASEAN
"Eminent Persons Group" (EPG) meeting in Manila.
The US
envoy to the consultative body said Washington will seek to improve its
partnership with the regional bloc "from a strategic standpoint."
"Aside
from increased economic partnerships, we also hope to contribute to peace and
stability which are the underpinnings needed for continuous development in the
region," Mr. Roy added.
In a
statement released during the event, the US Embassy said the meeting will
review the US-ASEAN partnership to enhance trade and investment.
Also on
the agenda were improved "people-to-people ties," greater
coordination on natural disaster, and a more integrated approach to climate
change, energy and food security issues, the statement said.
Increased
security cooperation between the US and the ASEAN will also be discussed.
However,
former Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rodolfo C. Severino said on
the sidelines of the event it was unclear whether the territorial dispute
between China and the Philippines involving Scarborough Shoal off Zambales
would be discussed.
The
South China Sea is a regional hotspot, with China, Taiwan and several ASEAN
countries having overlapping claims over the Spratly Islands. The ASEAN groups
Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
"This
meeting will cover a broad range of topics and will not focus on the
Philippines alone so we don’t know what will come up," Mr. Severino said.
He also
declined to confirm if he will initiate discussion on the issue.
The
EPG, established in 2009, is tasked to discuss issues concerning US-ASEAN
relations and recommend actions to US and ASEAN government leaders.
A
dialogue between US and ASEAN ministers is slated today.
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