Blinken heading to Laos for East Asia Summit, US-ASEAN Summit

​​​​​​​By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Laos for the ASEAN and related leaders’ meetings, the State Department said Tuesday.

Blinken will participate in the East Asia Summit and the US-ASEAN Summit in the Laos capital of Vientiane, according to spokesman Matthew Miller.

"The Secretary will reiterate the United States’ commitment to ASEAN centrality and support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which shares fundamental principles with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy," he said. "The Secretary will highlight how the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is delivering concrete benefits for our combined one billion people, including through our economic cooperation and increased engagement on emerging technology such as artificial intelligence.”

Blinken will also discuss geopolitical issues, including the crisis in Myanmar, the importance of upholding international law in the South China Sea and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, added Miller.