The ASEAN-United States Enhanced Partnership

Highlights

First Ambassador to ASEAN Appointed

The Secretary-General of ASEAN welcomes the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Mr. Scot Marciel as the U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN. “This is a clear and significant gesture of the USA towards ASEAN,” said Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN. Dr. Surin added that Mr. Marciel is in an excellent position to further develop the relationship between ASEAN and the United States because he has good understanding of ASEAN and a firm grasp how U.S. interests in Southeast Asia can be advanced through cooperation with ASEAN as a group. Mr. Marciel, who is also the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia, is the first U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN and the first ambassador from a Dialogue Partner. Under the ASEAN Charter, Dialogue Partners are encouraged to appoint ambassadors to work with the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN in Jakarta. Dr. Surin and Mr. Marciel are scheduled to meet in Jakarta on the sidelines of the Government Leaders Forum– Asia, organized jointly by Microsoft and the Government of Indonesia, May 7-9, 2008. For more information, contact Andrea Richhart: richhartai@state.gov

U.S. GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ADVANCE CONTRACT

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on February 25, 2008, announced a multi-sector development assistance program to help the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reach its goal of establishing a peaceful, prosperous and stable community of nations – the ASEAN Community – by 2015. The contract underscores the U.S. Government’s commitment to ASEAN and the region and will run for eight years to match ASEAN’s time frame for achieving the ASEAN Community. It was funded at $7 million in 2007 and will continue to be funded on a yearly basis....[full story]

On September 26, 2007, the United States underscored its commitment to the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership and ASEAN economic integration with the award of the ASEAN Development Vision to Advance National Cooperation and Economic Integration (ADVANCE), an indefinite quantity contract. ADVANCE will allow USAID Missions and other U.S. Government agencies to assist the ASEAN Secretariat and work with ASEAN Member Country governments, civil society, and the private sector to achieve results consistent with the goals of the Enhanced Partnership. It will also ensure that the ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility launched in 2004 will continue to provide high quality technical assistance to strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat and contribute to ASEAN integration.

President Bush met with leaders from seven Southeast Asian economies participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. These countries are also members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). President Bush announced, and the leaders of the ASEAN nations welcomed, the creation of the position of United States Ambassador to ASEAN. This Ambassador will work with ASEAN nations to deepen the already strong and robust U.S.-ASEAN relationship. President Bush also expressed his intent to host a meeting of ASEAN leaders to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations.

The ASEAN Schools Tour kicked off with its first stop in Phuket, Thailand in June. The tour is an educational campaign launched by Secretary General Ong to help kids learn about and participate in the ASEAN Community. With support from the USAID/Asia managed ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility the tour will reach approximately 4,000 students by the end of the year. The highlight of the ASEAN Schools Tour is an animated film about ASEAN, which was collaboratively produced by the Facility and the ASEAN Secretariat Public Affairs Office.(To view the ASEAN's animated film, click here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

July 1-4 - Special ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Senior Officials Meeting (Special Telsom) in Manila, Philippines

July 8-11 - The 55th Meeting of ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Services in Viet Nam

July 9 - Informal Program Coordination Consultation in Jakarta, Indonesia

July 9-11 - Pandemic Preparedness and Advocacy Training in Bangkok, Thailand

July 14-16 - ASEAN Single Window Legal Meeting in Viet Nam

July 21-23 - The 1st Meeting of ASEAN Technical Working Group on Pandemic Preparedness in Indonesia

July 21-22 - Joint Consultative Session on ASEAN Trade Facilitation Framework Assessment in Viet Nam

July 23-24 - Roundtable on ASEAN Information and Infrastructure in Indonesia