Obama to attend EAS in '11

Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, briefed the ASEAN envoys on July 15 in the U.S. capital on the United States' desire to be part of the existing ASEAN-led forum, EAS which was established in 2005.

The forum comprises of the 10-member ASEAN countries along with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India and New Zealand. At their meeting, they discussed global issues impacting on the region such as terrorism, climate changes, energy and food security.

The decision capped years of American ambivalence towards ASEAN and its role in constructing a new regional community. It came as the ASEAN foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Hanoi next week to deliberate on a new regional architecture.

In the same development, the senior ASEAN officials, who met in Hanoi also agreed to recommend their leaders to issue the invitation to the U.S. and Russia to join the EAS next year.

Russia has been persistent in wanting to join the EAS. It was invited as a special guest by the host, Malaysia, at the inaugural meeting in 2005.

The source, which asked not to be identified, said that U.S. President Barrack Obama would also attend the EAS next year when Indonesia is the host. He has postponed his trip to Indonesia scheduled for March and July.

The Obama Administration has been criticized by the U.S. media for not taking his planned trips to Indonesia seriously. To make up for this, there have been a flurry of diplomatic activities both in Washington and the region this past week.

Laotian Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith visited the U.S. and held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Hilary Rodham Clinton. Kurt met with the ASEAN envoy. Within the region, William Burns, Undersecretary for Political Affairs visited Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Jakarta to update on the U.S. policy on ASEAN.

The Obama administration has placed a top priority to strengthen the relations and broaden cooperation with ASEAN. Last year, the U.S. acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, becoming the 27th signatory.

Furthermore, the source said that Clinton is expected to announce the U.S. joining EAS during her trip to Hanoi for the region-wide security group, ASEAN Regional Forum.

The sources said Obama also plans to invite the ASEAN leaders to Washington, D.C. as his guests in September. At first, they are scheduled to meet Obama in New York as part of the second ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting.

They met last November on the sideline of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is scheduled to visit Hanoi to attend the second ASEAN-Russia Summit.

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