The US Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has named US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as Southeast Asia Person of the Year for 2010.

The CSIS Southeast Asia Programme's award recognises the individual who had the greatest impact and influence on strengthening US- Southeast Asia ties over the course of the year.

According to the CSIS, a bipartisan, nonprofit organisation headquartered in Washington, Secretary Clinton has, since assuming her role as secretary of state, had a vision for strengthening U.S. ties in Southeast Asia, and in 2010 she followed through on that vision with commitment, consistency, and determination.

The CSIS wrote on its web: "Under her leadership and guidance, the United States has built on a strong foundation of security and business engagement in the region by bringing strategic and political focus to ASEAN.”

It added the State Department, under Secretary Clinton’s leadership, has injected new energy and developed new partnership frameworks with key ASEAN countries, notably Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Secretary Clinton has also been a policy innovator in the region with an example being the Lower Mekong Initiative that seeks to support sustainable development and infrastructure across mainland Southeast Asia./.