U.S. Department of State International Media Engagement/Asia Pacific Telephonic Media Briefing with Nina Hachigian, U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Jakarta, Indonesia 12/2/2015 OPERATOR:  Welcome to the Department of State conference call.  At this time all participants are in a listen-only mode.  Later we will conduct a question and answer session.  Instructions will be given at that …

Hello YSEALI! I am thrilled to be here on the last night of the largest YSEALI event ever in the history of YSEALI or of the universe, actually.  I was here earlier, though, sitting in the back at the Town Hall with President Obama.  Did you like that?  Isn’t he amazing?  I am very lucky …

His Excellency, Nogeh anak Gumbek, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, Malaysia Distinguished guests and experts from ASEAN Member States and the United States, First I would like to say thank you to all delegates and speakers here today for your dedication to sustaining Southeast Asia’s valuable oceans and fisheries resources and for traveling …

I want to thank the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club for hosting this luncheon and President Joe Cochrane for his leadership at JFCC and introducing me here today. We all appreciate his authoritative work for the International New York Times. This is an excellent venue, and you are the perfect audience, for me to speak about the United States …

Bangkok, Thailand Thank you to Secretary General of SEAFDEC, Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, and Deputy Director General of Thailand’s Department of Fisheries, Dr. Waraporn Prompoj, for your welcome remarks and for hosting this important workshop. Thank you to distinguished SEAFDEC Member Country Delegates for your dedication to sustaining Southeast Asia’s valuable oceans and fisheries resources and …

ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta Thank you Your Excellency Deputy Secretary General Hirubalan and the hardworking ASEAN Secretariat staff for co-hosting the launch of the third class of Fulbright U.S.-ASEAN Visiting Scholars. It is my great pleasure to be here with you this morning. My deep congratulations and a warm welcome to our 2015-2016 scholars. You have …

Bangkok, Thailand Ladies, it is my true pleasure to be with you this afternoon to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in ASEAN.  Thank you for joining me and thanks to my colleagues at U.S. Embassy Bangkok for arranging what I know will be an engaging discussion. As we all know, promoting opportunities for …

Bangkok, Thailand Thank you for that kind introduction. Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honor for me to be in a room full of people committed to combating trafficking in persons.  The United States Government and I, personally, care deeply about this issue. Let me first thank Microsoft and Ms. Tony Town-Whitley for hosting …

Hanoi, Vietnam Good afternoon. It is great to be here today with all of you at the Ho Chi Minh Academy to talk about U.S. foreign policy in ASEAN. America has long been engaged in the Asia-Pacific region, but early in his first term, President Obama saw the need to remind us of this and …

Good evening. It is a great pleasure to be here with you to celebrate our country’s birthday. I would first like to thank our wonderful hosts, Bob and Sophia Blake, for this amazing and eco-friendly evening. While I can’t compete in height with Ambassador Blake and they have given me a little box to stand …

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Good Afternoon! I am truly honored to be here with you, young ASEAN leaders. I would like to say thank you to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and Making Cents for inviting me to participate in this YSEALI Generation: Power of Entrepreneurship Workshop.To give you a sense …

Dato’ Hafsah, Thank you for all your hard work in uplifting women. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my true pleasure to be with you today to launch the GREAT Women in ASEAN initiative.  When I first heard that there was a brand called “Great Women,” I didn’t realize it was an acronym.  But now I …

Thank you for the introduction.  And thanks to the US-ASEAN Business Council, Proctor & Gamble and eBay for hosting this session. Fellow Panelists, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored to kick off this discussion today. We all know the value of providing opportunities for SMEs to participate fully in the integrated economy. These businesses make …

Antony J. Blinken Deputy Secretary of State @America Jakarta, Indonesia All right, good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here at @america with all of you, and I want to start by thanking our Ambassador Bob Blake, first of all for his very kind words of introduction but much more important for his wonderful leadership …

Selamat siang.  Good afternoon. It is my true pleasure to be at @america today with all of you and join my esteemed colleagues and good friends to this panel discussion: “Women Who Lead:  A Discussion with Top Women Diplomats.” I have really been looking forward to this. Over the last two decades, a strong body …

APCSS, Hawaii Ambassador Hachigian – Good morning everyone, and Aloha.  It is my great pleasure to join you all today.  I wish I could stay with you and participate in this great workshop over the next four days. I would like to thank Admiral Locklear for inviting me, and, more importantly, for hosting this opportunity …

Thank you for your kind invitation and thanks to Joe Cochrane and other members of the Club for all your work in setting up today’s program. It is great to be here with you and to have a chance to talk about U.S. foreign policy in ASEAN.  America has long been a Pacific power. But …

Thank you very much to AmCham Singapore for inviting me to participate in this discussion with my illustrious co-panelists. Parag and I crossed paths when we were on our first book tours a while ago.  I haven’t met Atilla before but I’ve flown on Air Asia, so that makes us old pals, and am so …

Thank you very much for this opportunity to talk about U.S. Asia policy. America has been a Pacific power throughout its history but President Obama saw the need to remind us of this legacy and refocus our national attention on Asia. While it is true that threats in other parts of the world have not …

Your Excellency, Datin Paduka Hajah Intan, Chair and Representative of Brunei Darussalam to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children; Excellencies, Representatives to the ACWC; Mrs Rodora Babaran ASEAN Director of Socio-Cultural Cooperation, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my great pleasure to join you today to discuss …

John Kerry Secretary of State  Washington, DC On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States of America, I wish to send my congratulations to the people of Brunei Darussalam as you celebrate your 31st National Day on February 23rd. I have enjoyed my visits to your country, and we work together …

U.S. – ASEAN Relations and the Future of the Oceans Good Morning. Selamat pagi. On behalf of the United States Government, it is my pleasure to talk with you today  about ASEAN- US ties. Thank you Dr. Irid for your kind introduction and the opportunity to speak with students and faculty here at the University …

TOPIC:  U.S. POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC REGION IN 2015 WASHINGTON FOREIGN PRESS CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C. ASSISTANT SECRETARY RUSSEL:  Thank you very much.  Hello, everybody.  Happy 2015.  I’m glad to be here.  2014 was a great year.  We had two visits to the Asia Pacific region by President Obama.  We had five visits …

Good morning everyone. It is my great pleasure to join you all today. I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Arjun Thapa, the Secretary General of SAARC; Her Excellency Alicia Dela Rosa Bala, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN; and Mr. Said Faisal, the Executive Director of the AHA Centre, for hosting this opportunity to …

John Kerry Secretary of State  Washington, DC On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I would like to congratulate the people of Myanmar as you celebrate the 67th anniversary of your nation’s independence. This day is an appropriate moment to reiterate America’s commitment to supporting your country as you continue …

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson Washington, D.C. STATEMENT BY SECRETARY KERRY Marking the Tenth Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami I’ll never forget hearing the news of the tsunami that struck in the Indian Ocean 10 years ago. The images were gut-wrenching: entire towns razed from Indonesia to Somalia; raging waters sweeping …

Thank you Ambassador Blake for the kind introduction. I hit the jackpot when I got Ambassador Blake to share an embassy with. Thanks to USABC, especially Marc Mealy, Martin Gil and Kathy Santillo for inviting me here today. Last week, I got a message from my assistant that Alex Feldman called. I looked at the …

John Kerry Secretary of State  Washington, DC On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, it is a great pleasure to wish His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej a joyous 87th birthday and congratulate the people of Thailand on your National Day this December 5. The people of the United States and …

John Kerry Secretary of State  Washington, DC On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I would like to congratulate President Choummaly Sayasone and the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as you celebrate your National Day on December 2. This year marks 64 years of diplomatic relations between the …

Mr. Vice Chancellor, Mr. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Mr. Under Secretary, AYVP Alumni, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored to be here today with all of you to kick off the next phase of U.S.-ASEAN cooperation. Next year, ASEAN will come together even more closely as an economic community. ASEAN unity is good for ASEAN, it …

The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release Yangon University Rangoon, Burma 3:43 P.M. MMT PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, everybody! AUDIENCE: Hi! PRESIDENT OBAMA: Myanmar Luu Ngae Myar Min Galarbar! (Applause.) It’s wonderful to be back in Myanmar. Everybody, please have a seat. Have a seat. Oh, we got some signs — “Reform …

The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release Myanmar International Convention Center Naypyitaw, Burma 12:45 P.M. MMT PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  It is a great pleasure to be back in this beautiful country and to once again have the opportunity to consult closely with all of our ASEAN …

The White House OffOffice of the Press Secretary Immediate Release International Convention Center Yanqi Lake — Beijing, China PRESIDENT OBAMA:  (In progress) — have shown us last night’s events were spectacular, and this is a extraordinary setting for our meeting.  And I very much appreciate the work that you’ve done to develop a very productive …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Washington, DC   SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Dean Nasr. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Vali for a while. When I was in the Senate, he was a very valuable advisor, and I can remember coming down to the State Department …

Nina Hachigian United States Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Department of State Washington, D.C.   Ambassador Hachigian:    Thank you, Wendy. I’m so happy you were able to swear me in.  Because I did the math, and it turns out that we’ve known each other for quite a while. It’s reassuring that you …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC   SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you so much, Evan. Thank you. Wow, thank you. I didn’t know I was going to be interrupting cocktails. (Laughter.) I feel entirely guilty. It’s okay if you don’t eat, but not drinking is really serious. (Laughter.) Thank you very, very much. …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Waldorf-Astoria Hotel New York City   SECRETARY KERRY: Well, everybody, my apologies for being delayed, and I thank everybody for their patience and look forward to a very interesting and comprehensive discussion this evening. I want to begin by thanking Foreign Minister Lwin and the Government of Myanmar, which has done …

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary Arlington, Virginia The Pentagon 9:45 A.M. EDT PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good morning. Scripture tells us, “We count as blessed those who have persevered.” Secretary Hagel, General Dempsey, members of our Armed Forces, and, most of all, the survivors of that September day and the families of those we …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Washington, DC   On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the Indonesian people on the 69th anniversary of your independence this August 17. Indonesia’s thriving democracy and dynamic regional and global leadership are critical to the Asia …

Office of the Spokesperson For Immediate Release Remarks Honolulu, Hawaii MR. MORRISON:  Well, thank you.  Aloha.  I want to welcome everyone.  And for our online audience, and also for the Secretary, I’d like to describe who is here in our audience.  We have the mayor of Honolulu, Mayor Caldwell.  We have our senator, Mazie Hirono.  We …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Naypyitaw Mr. Chairman, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Fellow Ministers and Secretaries, As we approach the 10th anniversary of the East Asia Summit next year, this is a natural time to take stock of the direction of the EAS and our efforts to strengthen this critical institution. We support …

Friends of the Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting NayPyiTaw, Myanmar Fourth Friends of the Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting Joint Statement On August 9, 2014, the U.S. Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Cambodia, Japan, Lao PDR, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Viet Nam, the Managing Director of the EU, and …

Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial Meeting NayPyiTaw, Myanmar Seventh Ministerial Meeting of the Lower Mekong Initiative Joint Statement On August 9, 2014, the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the U.S. Secretary of State met in NayPyiTaw, Myanmar, for the Seventh Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Ministerial …

John Kerry Secretary of State  Naypyitaw, Burma As Prepared for Delivery Let me start by thanking the government of Myanmar for hosting all of us, and congratulating them on a very effective chairmanship to date – and thank you for your generous welcome. This meeting comes at a time when the world really could not …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Myanmar International Conference Center Naypyitaw, Burma   Well, thank you very much, Foreign Minister, and Your Royal Highness, my fellow colleagues the foreign ministers. It’s a great privilege to join all of you here today. I’m delighted to be here with our partners from ASEAN, with whom the United States …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Myanmar International Conference Center Naypyitaw, Burma   Well, thank you very much, Foreign Minister, and Your Royal Highness, my fellow colleagues the foreign ministers. It’s a great privilege to join all of you here today. I’m delighted to be here with our partners from ASEAN, with whom the United States …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Myanmar International Conference Center Naypyitaw   Thank you very much, Mr. Minister, and again, we all thank you for your hospitality in convening us here and for your leadership. And we particularly are grateful for the efforts of your meeting through ASEAN as well as your efforts with the Lower …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Myanmar International Conference Center Naypyitaw Thank you very much, Mr. Co-Chair, I appreciate it very much. And again, I repeat we all appreciate your leadership and particularly hosting us here now. And I want to welcome the ASEAN Secretary General Minh. Thank you very much for being here with us, …

John Kerry Secretary of State  Washington, DC More than 30 years after the Khmer Rouge slaughtered some 1.7 million people, Cambodians have received a small measure of justice and a reminder that justice may not be swift, but justice is resolute. Today’s verdict against two of the most senior surviving members of the Khmer Rouge …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Washington, DC   On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I join the 620 million people of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN on August 8. So much of the history …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Washington, DC   On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I join the 620 million people of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN on August 8. So much of the history …

Daniel R. Russel Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs  Commonwealth Club San Francisco, CA As Prepared for Delivery Thank you, Phil. I’m glad to be in San Francisco, and with all of you here at the Commonwealth Club. You’re here today because you understand the importance of Asia to America. This is especially …

The White House – Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 11:52 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody. Yesterday, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam and was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border.  Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken — men, women, children, …

The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release The United States is shocked by the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, and we offer our deep condolences to all those who lost loved ones on board. We continue to seek information to determine whether there were any American citizens on board. It …

John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC We are horrified by the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. There are no words adequate to express our condolences to the families of the nearly 300 victims. We offer our sympathies and support to the Governments of Malaysia and the Netherlands at this difficult time, as well …

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson June 27, 2014 STATEMENT BY SECRETARY KERRY As the holy month of Ramadan begins, I wish the millions of Muslims here at home and so many more all around the world Ramadan Kareem. Ramadan is a time for peaceful reflection and prayer, a time for acts of …

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Vice President For Immediate Release The Vice President met today with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore at the White House, their third meeting since April 2013. The Vice President and the Prime Minister affirmed the importance of the strategic and economic partnership between the United States and Singapore, …

Scot Marciel Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs  Testimony Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Washington, DC   Chairman Chabot and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the recent coup in Thailand. The U.S.-Thai …

Regional Telephone Conference in Rangoon, Burma Daniel R. Russel Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs  Rangoon, Burma   MODERATOR: Good evening everyone. Thank you for joining us. This is Paul Watzlavick at the U.S. Department of State Media Hub in Tokyo. Today we have with us Assistant Secretary Daniel Russel, who is in …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Washington, DC   On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of the Republic of the Philippines as you celebrate the anniversary of your nation’s independence on June 12. My personal appreciation for your nation reaches …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Washington, DC   World Oceans Day is a time to pause and focus on protecting our ocean: our planet’s most extraordinary ecosystem. Life as we know it wouldn’t be possible were it not for our ocean. We depend on the ocean for life’s essentials: the food we eat and the …

Ritz-Carlton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 9:24 A.M. MST THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s a great pleasure to be here with Prime Minister Najib.  Before I leave to my next stop on this tour, I thought it was entirely appropriate for us to end my wonderful visit here in Malaysia with an event that directly relates to …

Malacañang Palace Manila, Philippines 3:40 P.M. PHT PRESIDENT AQUINO:  The honorable President of the United States Barack Obama and his official delegation, members of the Cabinet present, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen: good afternoon. Today, the Philippines welcomes President Obama and his delegation on his first state visit to the Philippines. The United …

The Honorable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia and The Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America held a bilateral meeting on 27 April 2014 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The two leaders reflected on the historic nature of President Obama’s State Visit to Malaysia, the first Presidential visit …

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2:53 P.M. MST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, hello, everybody. AUDIENCE:  Hello! PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Selamat petang.  I want to thank Prime Minister Najib for bringing me here today, as well as Cheryl Yeoh.  Where’s Cheryl?  She was here just a second ago.  There she is over there — (applause) — who’s going to be …

University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3:54 P.M. MST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, good afternoon.  Selamat petang.  Please, everybody have a seat.  It is wonderful to be here and it is wonderful to see all these outstanding young people here. I want to thank, first of all, the University of Malaya for hosting us.  I want …

This opinion editorial by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker was published in the February 19 Wall Street Journal. There are no republication restrictions. America is Committed to Asia By Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel For decades, security and prosperity have flourished throughout the Asia-Pacific region, each reinforcing the …

John Kerry Secretary of State   Washington, DC On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send my most heartfelt congratulations to the people of Brunei Darussalam as you celebrate your 30th National Day on February 23. Our formal diplomatic relations began in 1984, but the friendship between our two countries …

EXECUTIVE ORDER – – – – – – – STREAMLINING THE EXPORT/IMPORT PROCESS FOR AMERICA’S BUSINESSES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to reduce supply chain barriers to commerce while continuing to protect our national security, public health …

@america Jakarta, Indonesia Video  SECRETARY KERRY:  Thank you, Robert.  Thank you very, very much.  I don’t know.  I think some of you were cheering twice for the same university.  I don’t know.  (Laughter.)  It seemed to come from the same place anyway. What a pleasure to be here at America, where we are looking at all …

Daniel R. Russel Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Testimony Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Washington, DC Chairman Chabot, Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on these important issues. Before I begin, I would also like to take this …

Washington, DC January 3, 2014 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I’m honored to send best wishes to the people of your country as you celebrate your Independence Day. Few days would be more appropriate to reiterate America’s commitment to supporting your country as you continue down the path …

Secretary of State John Kerry October 9, 2013 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei SECRETARY KERRY:  Well, thank you very much, Your Majesty.  Thank you for a wonderful welcome here and for your generous hospitality.  And to all of the leaders here, we’re very grateful for the opportunity to be able to meet.  We thank the Government …

Secretary of State John Kerry  October 9, 2013 Jerudong International School Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei MODERATOR:  All right.  So good afternoon, again, Mr. Secretary.  On behalf of the group, I’d like to thank you for making the time to join us this afternoon.  We have a separate event and we’ll be gathering much more young …

Secretary of State John Kerry At the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting September 27, 2013 New York, New York   SECRETARY KERRY:  Well, thank you very much, Secretary Russel.  It’s great to have you aboard.  And I think everybody here appreciates your outreach and your efforts in the region, and I know everybody has confidence in your …

John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC August 30, 2013 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Vietnam as you celebrate your National Day on September 2. Vietnam’s journey has long been personal to me. I remember the beauty of a country I first knew …

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century.  Yesterday the United States presented a powerful case that the Syrian government was responsible for this attack on its own people. Our intelligence …

Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Treaty Room Washington, DC President Obama has spent many days now consulting with Congress and talking with leaders around the world about the situation in Syria. And last night, the President asked all of us on his national security team to consult with the leaders of Congress as well, …

John Kerry Secretary of State Washington, DC August 15, 2013 On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I extend warm wishes to the Indonesian people on the 68th anniversary of your independence this August 17. Indonesia’s strong economic growth and active civil society reflect the dynamism of the Asia-Pacific region. …

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson For Immediate Release                                                      August 7, 2013 STATEMENT BY SECRETARY KERRY Republic of Singapore National Day On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, it is my pleasure to send our warmest wishes to the people of Singapore as you celebrate your National Day …

Press Statement John Kerry Secretary of State Washington DC On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, we join the 600 million people of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, …

FOREIGN PRESS CENTER BRIEFING WITH ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC DANIEL R. RUSSEL TOPIC:  OVERVIEW OF U.S. POLICY IN THE EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013, 2:00 P.M. EST THE WASHINGTON FOREIGN PRESS CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C. MS. CARRINGTON:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Welcome to the Washington Foreign Press …

The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate release With the start of the sacred month of Ramadan, Michelle and I extend our best wishes to Muslim communities here in the United States and around the world. For the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims, Ramadan is a time for thoughtful reflection, fasting and devotion.  …

The 3rd East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held on 2 July 2013 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. The Meeting was chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. To see the full Chairman’s Statement, please click  here.

The 20th Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on 2 July 2013. The Meeting was chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. Please click  here  to see the full Chairman’s Statement.

(The following are remarks, as prepared, by Amb. David Carden to guests of the 2013 U.S. Independence Day Party, co-hosted by the U.S. Mission to ASEAN and the U.S. Embassy to Indonesia. The event was held on July 3, 2013.) Good evening. Two hundred and thirty seven years ago tomorrow, after a year of war against …

John Kerry Secretary of State Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam As Prepared for Delivery I am very pleased to represent, for the first time as Secretary of State, the United States at this East Asia Summit Ministerial. Allow me to express my appreciation to His Majesty, the Sultan, and the entire nation of Brunei for …

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Minister, and thank you to all of the ministers here. It’s a great pleasure for me to be here at my first ASEAN-U.S. ministerial, but I’m happy to say I’ve been out in this region over many years as a United States Senator and even before that, so …

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, everybody’s presence here underscores the very important link between the work with the Lower Mekong Initiative and ASEAN. And so I want to thank Brunei Darussalam for hosting us at the sixth Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial Meeting. And I’m grateful to all of you for taking time to be here and all of …

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson May 6, 2013 The following joint statement was released on May 6, 2013: The ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue took place last week in Washington D.C., where Senior Officials from all ten ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat and the United States met to discuss pressing regional issues across ASEAN’s …

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very, very much. Thank you very much, President Mishima, for a generous introduction. It’s a great privilege for me to be here. Thank you. And thank you all for coming to share some thoughts this morning. I understand that Tokyo Tech has been referred to as Japan’s M.I.T. So even halfway around …

by Danny Russel At the very outset of his Administration, the President made a strategic decision to increase the United States’ focus on the Asia-Pacific region by rebalancing U.S. engagements, activities, and resources toward this vital region. The President made this plain in his  speech before the Australian parliament in 2011 :  “the United States will play a larger and long-term role …

During my first week as the United States’ Secretary of State, I had the honor of meeting with a group of courageous women from Burma.  Two were former political prisoners, and although they had all endured incredible hardship in their lives, each of them was committed to moving forward – providing education and training to …

(The following OpEd was written by Amb. David Carden, and appeared in Today newspaper in Singapore on August 2, 2012) The United States’ comprehensive engagement with ASEAN and our multifaceted support for the Association’s goals form a central pillar of our broader rebalancing to the Asia Pacific region.  We share the aspirations ASEAN articulated in …

(The following are remarks, as prepared, by Amb. David Carden to guests of the 2012 U.S. Independence Day Party, co-hosted by the U.S. Mission to ASEAN and the U.S. Embassy to Indonesia.  The event was held on July 3, 2012.) Good evening on this, the eve of our country’s 236th Birthday. America is a nation …

(The following speech was given at the 2012 Indiana University Law School Commencement, where Ambassador Carden was the keynote speaker.  To see the video of Amb. Carden’s speech, visit  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_WhSOtUAVw ) Acting Dean Buxbaum, Law School Faculty and staff present and past, members of the Board of Visitors, Graduates, the parents and friends of all attending, …

(The following speech was given at the 2012 Indiana University Graduate School Commencement, where Ambassador Carden was the keynote speaker.  To see the video of Amb. Carden’s speech, visit  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gZ6WJVVzVk ). President McRobbie, Distinguished Faculty, Graduates, Parents, Family members, Partners, friends, all those who helped organize this wonderful gathering, good afternoon and thank you for giving …

(The following are remarks, as prepared, by Amb. David Carden to attendees of an event at the Asia Foundation.  The event was held on March 15, 2012.) I’m delighted to be here this afternoon and for the opportunity to speak again at the Asia Foundation.  After nearly a year spent in the region as the …