Shangri-La Dialogue: US reaffirms commitment to Southeast Asian countries

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Singapore (VNA) - US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on June 10 reaffirmed to his Southeast Asian counterparts Washington's strong commitment to the region through the maintenance of an open, inclusive and rules-based security environment.

The US official had an informal meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level security summit taking place in Singapore from June 10-12.

According to a release from Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef), Austin said the US will continue to deepen cooperation with ASEAN, particularly in the area of maritime security.

It will also play a strong role in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM ), an annual forum of the regional bloc and its eight partner countries.

The Southeast Asian defence ministers, except for Myanmar's, who is not attending the meeting  - welcomed the US' continued engagement of the region, said Mindef.

Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen also reaffirmed the principles that underpin the strong US-ASEAN relationship, and showed his country’s aspiration to enhance cooperation with the US to tackle transnational security challenges./.

VNA