PHNOM PENH: The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has announced that he has requested US $850 million in assistance for Southeast Asia for 2023. 

Prime Minister Hun Sen and President Joe Biden presided over the 10th ASEAN-US Summit held at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh on Saturday, 12 November. 

During his opening remarks, President Biden said that he was happy to attend the third ASEAN-US Summit of his presidency, and the second in person. He said these summits are a testament to the importance the US places on its relations with ASEAN and its commitment to ASEAN centrality. 

President Biden emphasized that ASEAN is at the heart of his administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, and said the launch of the new comprehensive strategic partnership between the US and ASEAN begins a new era in their relationship, where they will tackle the biggest issues facing the region and the world together in order to build an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, stable and prosperous, resilient and secure. 

The US President added that this was not just rhetoric, and that the US has been placing resources behind this approach. Over the last year, President Biden’s administration announced more than US $250 million in new initiatives with ASEAN, and for 2023, he stated that he has requested US $850 million dollars in assistance for Southeast Asia. 

He further gave mention to the US-ASEAN Electric Vehicle Initiative, which will work to build an integrated electric vehicle ecosystem in Southeast Asia, enabling the region to pursue clean energy economic development and ambitious emissions reductions targets. Similarly, he said they are launching the US-ASEAN platform for infrastructure and connectivity, through which they will build projects based on the needs identified, to create sustainable high standard infrastructure that supports the people of the region. 

President Biden stressed that the US is committed to building a better future for all 1 billion people of the US and ASEAN. He concluded his remarks by saying that he is looking forward to continuing his work with ASEAN to deepen peace and prosperity throughout the region, resolve challenges from The South China Sea to Myanmar, and to find innovative new solutions to shared challenges.