ASIATODAY.ID, WASHINGTON – The United States Department of State in collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU) celebrated the opening of the US-ASEAN Center in Washington DC, Thursday, local time, December 14.
US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth M. Allen delivered remarks highlighting this important moment.
Announced by Vice President Kamala Harris at the 2023 US-ASEAN Summit, the Center will serve as a hub for US-ASEAN engagement and to strengthen this important relationship. The US-ASEAN Center strengthens support for the United States’ economic and cultural engagement with Southeast Asia and helps connect key organizations in the private sector, academic institutions, and civil society.
Its activities will also strengthen joint efforts by the United States and ASEAN to promote an open, connected, prosperous, resilient and secure Indo-Pacific region.
Since the establishment of the dialogue partnership in 1977, the United States and ASEAN have built extensive cooperation in various fields under the political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars.
The United States is the largest source of direct investment in Southeast Asia, and more than 6,200 U.S. companies have contributed to total trade between the United States and ASEAN countries reaching a record $520.3 billion in 2022, creating 625,000 jobs across all 50 states and the creation of 1 million job opportunities throughout Southeast Asia.
The close US-ASEAN partnership is also reflected in the increasing people-to-people ties between the two countries, which number one billion people, as well as the increasing number of students from ASEAN countries in the United States.
Deputy Minister Allen’s statement underscored the strong relationship between the US and ASEAN, including its efforts to build people-to-people ties in Indonesia on December 4-5.
In Indonesia, Deputy Secretary Allen observed firsthand the expansion of the Fulbright program to religious schools, encouraging increased student exchanges, and marking the first decade of the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) as the premier US leadership and professional development program in the region.
The Deputy Minister also acknowledged the work of several members of Congress who have proposed and supported legislation related to the US–ASEAN Center.
The US Department of State welcomed the remarks by ASU Chief Operating Officer Christopher B. Howard, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Congressman Joaquin Castro.
The US Department of State also thanked ASU for its continued partnership and long-term commitment to academic programs and studies on issues in Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
“We look forward to further strengthening our partnership through our various programs, including the US-ASEAN center, in the years to come,” added Allen. (AT Network)
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