On 1 August 2019, H.E. Mr. Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Honourable Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State of the United States of America, co-chaired the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial Meeting during the 52^nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (52^nd AMM) and Post Ministerial Conferences (PMCs) in Bangkok.

          The Meeting reviewed ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations and supported the drafting of a new Plan of Action for next year. The Meeting noted the United States’ contribution to regional security, particularly in combatting threats from terrorism, human trafficking, and transnational crime. The Meeting also supported cooperation on cyber security through initiatives such as digital connectivity, and welcomed the ASEAN-U.S. Cyber Policy Dialogue. With regard to economic cooperation, the Meeting supported strengthened economic relations, and synergized efforts to connect the connectivities in the region through the existing regional frameworks, such as the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), of which the United States is a Development Partner, and the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). The Ministers of ASEAN and the United States also discussed ASEAN-U.S. collaboration on business linkages, digital economy, smart cities, energy security, and disaster management. They also exchanged views on regional and global affairs, such as the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, the situation in the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula.

         ASEAN and the United States became Dialogue Partners in 1977, and elevated their relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2015. ASEAN-U.S. cooperation spans across all the three pillars of the ASEAN Community. The United States of America is the third largest trading partner of ASEAN and the fourth largest investor in the region. Lao PDR is the current country coordinator for ASEAN-U.S. relations.  

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