Obama reaches out to Asean

US President to invite all 10 leaders of regional grouping to Washington next year

By KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN, THE NATION ON SUNDAY, November 1, 2009

President Barack Obama plans to invite all 10 Asean leaders to the United States next year in a move to further strengthen Asean-US relations at the highest level.

Kurt Campbell, the assistant state secretary for East Asia and Pacific, revealed during an informal talk with international participants attending a conference in Washington on Burma last week that Obama would make an official announcement during the upcoming Asean-US summit in Singapore.

He said the president wanted to listen to the Asean leaders and would not lecture to them.

According to a source who attended the conference, Obama is keen to come to Singapore and meet the Asean leaders. He had earlier met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at the G-20 summits in London and Pittsburgh this year.

The Asean-US summit is scheduled for November 15 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. The 90-minute session will be co-chaired by Obama and Abhisit.

Details of the agenda and the joint statement will be worked out later this week by the Philippines, the coordinator for the Asean-US meeting.

The planned invitation points to a clear US intention to have regular meetings with Asean leaders. At the moment, senior officials from both sides are negotiating whether to use the word "summit" or "leaders' meeting". Some senior US officials do not want such a yearly commitment.

US-Asean relations have been bolstered by the new US policy towards Asia. In August, Washington signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with Asean, which further strengthened the three-decade-old relationship.

The US-Asean summit was first planned in September 2007 in Singapore but then-president George W Bush called it off at the last minute due to his tight schedule at home. All 10 Asean leaders will attend the Singapore summit this month.

Bush met Asean leaders three times during his tenure - in October 2002 in Los Cabos, Mexico; in December 2005 in Busan, South Korea; and in September 2007, in Sydney. But these occasions were part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders' meetings, and as a result only seven Asean members could attend. Cambodia, Laos and Burma are not members of Apec.

From the Asean side, as co-chair, Abhisit will be the first to speak, followed by the country coordinator, the Philippines, and the host, Singapore.

Topping the summit's agenda will be a review of Asean-US relations in the past three decades, as well as regional and international issues. The issue of Burma could be raised under this item.

The outcome of Campbell's scheduled visit this week to Rangoon, and the highly anticipated meeting with Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, could be brought up.

The parties are also expected to discuss an Asean-US free-trade agreement, which was proposed by Senator Richard Lugar last month. He said an FTA should be part of a comprehensive strategy towards Asean.

"China, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea have already finalised FTAs with Asean and are sharpening their competitive edge over the US in Southeast Asia," Lugar said.

Asean-US trade increased from US$161 billion (Bt5.3 trillion) in 2006 to more than $178 billion last year. US investment in Asean grew from $3.4 billion in 2006 to $6.3 billion in 2007.

Other key dialogue partners such as China, Japan, South Korea and India have an annual summit with Asean leaders. Russia is planning a second summit next year in Hanoi under the new Asean chair, Vietnam.