Senators Kerry And Webb Support Strong U.S. Engagement With Southeast Asia
Washington, D.C.-–Corresponding with the second ASEAN-United States summit in New York City, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee ChairmanJim Webb (D-VA), issued the following statements announcing the Senate’s unanimous passage of a resolution supporting recent and ongoing U.S. efforts to engage with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member-states.
“Recent tensions in East Asia drive home the significance of multilateral institutions in the region like ASEAN that can arrive at consensus-based solutions to disagreements. I am pleased that the administration is enhancing political, security and economic cooperation in Southeast Asia through ASEAN, and hope that organization can continue to enhance its role as a regional problem-solver on transnational issues ranging from climate change to maritime security. I am confident that today’s meetings will be an important part of the broader U.S. effort to participate actively in East Asia’s regional institutions,” said Chairman Kerry.
“As one who has spent much of his life with a strong connection to Southeast Asia, I strongly support the deepening engagement between the United States and the members of ASEAN,” said Senator Webb. “Through our multilateral cooperation, we can contribute significantly to the stability of the region and to the development of democratic institutions and transparent economic policies.”
S. Res. 640: Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United States engagement with ASEAN and its member-states.
Full text: Senate Resolution S.640.