TBONG KHMUM: Prime Minister Hun Sen, the 2022 ASEAN Chair, has stated that the leaders from ASEAN countries and the United States (US) have not agreed with the arrangement plans made for the upcoming special ASEAN-US Summit at the end of this month, adding that if the date for the summit is not agreed upon in time, the summit will be postponed to later.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Cambodia-China Tbong Khmum Friendship Hospital on Monday morning.
"Now many ASEAN leaders demand a meeting on the 26th and 27th. The United States also announced that they could not accept the suggested date of the 26th and 27th. Three ASEAN leaders said they could not attend the meeting on the 26th and 27th! There are different views, so I suggest turning it over if there is no agreement on the time, only a delay between ASEAN and the United States," he said.
The Prime Minister added that if the time for the summit has to be postponed, he proposes dates between 28 March to 7 April. He also confirmed that he could not go abroad from mid-May to mid-June because Cambodia has an election and will need to stay in the country.
The White House announced on 28 February 2022 that a special summit between ASEAN and the United States will be held at the end of March. However, ASEAN member states have not yet confirmed their participation over a disagreement on the set dates.
