ASEAN-US Summit Date undecided: PM
Conflicting schedules of ASEAN leaders means that the date for the special regional summit has not yet been decided, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday. Photo from Prime Minister Hun Sen Facebook.
- By Torn Chanritheara
- March 7, 2022 1:39 PM
Clashing schedules delay meeting
PHNOM PENH--Conflicting schedules of ASEAN leaders means that the date for the special regional summit has not yet been decided, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday.
The United States had reportedly announced that President Joe Biden would host ASEAN leaders on March 28-29.
However, Hun Sen said the date had not yet been agreed and Indonesia, as coordinating country for ASEAN-US relation, had not yet coordinated the date with other members.
“Many ASEAN leaders request the meeting be held on March 26-27,” Hun Sen said during the inauguration ceremony for a China-funded hospital in Thbong Khmum province.
“But US senior officials said they couldn’t accept this proposed date. And at least three ASEAN leaders said they couldn’t attend the March 26-27 meeting.”
He suggested that the meeting be delayed but hoped that ASEAN and the US would find a suitable time and he would be available until mid-May. He said he can’t leave the country from mid-May to mid-June as Cambodia will hold commune elections on June 5.
“If the ASEAN chair can’t go, the meeting can’t be held,” he added.
