TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
ASEAN hopes for closer US ties with Biden in charge
Change Size
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington DC on Wednesday. (Reuters/Andrew Harnik)
S
outheast Asian nations have welcomed the inauguration of United States President Joe Biden with renewed hope for engagement with the country, following years of a notable absence of US leadership in the region.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office in Washington DC on Wednesday morning, local time. In his inaugural address, Biden pledged to “engage with the world once again” – a stark contrast to the “America First” rhetoric espoused by his predecessor Donald Trump.
Brunei Darussalam Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, who is serving as ASEAN’s chair this year, said foreign ministers of the bloc’s member states looked forward to working with Biden’s administration to strengthen their strategic partnership with the US for the region’s peace, security, stability and prosperity.
Erywan made the statement during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on Thursday. The virtual conference was the bloc’s first major meeting under Brunei’s chairmanship, as the pandemic response and economic recovery remain the most immediate challenges for the region.
“We look forward to the next meeting between ASEAN and the US and between us and our US counterparts,” he said.
Read also: Indonesia not holding its breath as US welcomes new governmen
Trump’s administration had a notably small presence in ASEAN. The former president briefly attended the ASEAN Summit once – in 2017 in the Philippines. Afterwards, he was represented by lower-ranking officials.
