Washinton: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink will travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Tokyo, Japan, July 11-15. This is according to a press release from the US State Department on Monday, July 11.

In Phnom Penh, Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and other senior officials to discuss bilateral relations, U.S. support for Cambodia as ASEAN Chair, and regional and global issues. The Assistant Secretary will also engage with youth and civil society leaders.

In Tokyo, the Assistant Secretary will offer his condolences to the people of Japan regarding the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. He will hold meetings with senior Japanese counterparts to discuss and advance the strong partnership between the United States and Japan across a wide range of regional and global issues.

The statement add: “The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and our extensive cooperation has been indispensable to confronting global challenges, including Russia’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine”.

Daniel J. Kritenbrink became Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs on September 24, 2021. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, Kritenbrink has been an American diplomat since 1994.

He had planned to visit Cambodia since May 2022, but was postponed after being tested positive for Covid-19.