At the meeting (Photo: https://asean.org) The meeting acknowledged that the ASEAN-US longstandingpartnership has expanded to cover a wide range of areas of cooperation acrossthe three pillars of the ASEAN Community.
Officials from both sides also noted the progress in implementing the ASEAN-USPlan of Action (2021-2025) in supporting ASEAN Community-building efforts and promotingpeace, security, and prosperity in the region.
They discussedareas where robust and meaningful collaboration could be further enhancedincluding maritime cooperation; combatting transnational crime, humantrafficking and cyber security; digital economy, trade, investment, andfinancial stability; micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME); energy security; scienceand technology as well as climate-friendly transportation technologies; smartcities; and sustainable infrastructure and connectivity.
The two sides alsolooked forward to the adoption of the Annex to the ASEAN-US Plan of Action later this year.
Discussing future cooperation, the two sides shared the significance ofenhancing cooperation in the four key areas outlined in the ASEAN Outlook onthe Indo-Pacific (AOIP). They also highlighted the importance of deepeningsub-regional cooperation and supporting the Initiative for ASEAN Integration;as well as collaborating on emerging areas such as regional health resilience, environment and climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and food security, among others.
The US announced the status of bipartisanlegislation named the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed toEnhance Relations (PARTNER) with ASEAN Act which was approved by the US Houseof Representatives in March 2023. It reaffirmed its commitment to supportTimor-Leste as an Observer of ASEAN./.
VNA
