PREY VENG: Prime Minister Hun Sen explained that the postponement of the ASEAN-US Special Summit was not due to the ASEAN Chair, which some analysts have commented, but due to the busy schedules of ASEAN and US leaders. He made this statement while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the SOS Children's Village in Prey Veng province on Thursday, and also said that only the ASEAN Chair has the right to comment on this matter.

The Prime Minister continued that some analysts make comments while having no knowledge of ASEAN, so he urges them to go back and study ASEAN affairs, as the postponement of this meeting is not up to the ASEAN Chair to decide.

He said, "Indonesia is the facilitator between ASEAN and the United States, so the role of coordinating the time for the ASEAN-US Special Summit is Indonesia's. The United States announced the 28th and 29th dates when Indonesia had not yet reached a compromise with ASEAN members! By the time Indonesia consolidated with ASEAN member states, there were four countries that said they could not join. Some countries asked for the Summit to be held on the 26th and 27th of March instead, but the United States replied that they could not meet at this time. So, both sides are now proposing a time to mediate later."

On 10 March, Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sontory told reporters that the ASEAN-US Special Summit had been postponed from the end of March to a later date, without a new date yet specified. He said that the delay was due to some ASEAN leaders not being able to make it to the Summit on the previously scheduled date.