The US pledges to join ASEAN in upholding the rule of law at sea

“America With ASEAN sharing a common vision for the region, we will jointly respond to threats to international norms and law. We will work with our allies and partners to uphold the rule of law at sea, including freedom of navigation, overflight, and international law,” US Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement. working lunch with ASEAN leaders in Washington DC today.

Harris stressed that Southeast Asia remains one of the US’s priorities, adding that the US Coast Guard will deploy patrol boats to the area to train and deal with illegal fishing activities.

“As an Indo-Pacific nation, the United States will be present and will continue to engage with Southeast Asia for generations to come,” the US Vice President added.

In addition to maritime security, health issues were also discussed in this event. The US Vice President said that the US will continue to work with ASEAN to respond to the threat from Covid-19 after having contributed 115 million doses of vaccines to the region. “As long as Covid-19 appears in any country, all will be affected,” she said.

At the ASEAN-US Special Summit held today, the leaders of ASEAN countries and US President Joe Biden will look back and evaluate the overall journey of the partnership between the two sides over the past 45 years. orientation for the development of bilateral relations in the near future.

The Biden administration has announced a $150 million support package for new initiatives in Southeast Asia, including maritime cooperation and clean energy.

Prime minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in the US on May 11, starting to attend a series of events within the framework of the conference, and also visit and work in the US and the United Nations, which is expected to last until May 17.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters)