MANILA – United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia from July 24 to August 3, 2024, to reaffirm the importance the work done with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, as well as advancing security and prosperity and facilitating a shared vision for a free and open region. This is Blinken’s 18th trip to the Indo-Pacific region.
In a press statement from the U.S. Department of State, it confirmed that Blinken will be attending the funeral of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and offer condolences to the people of Vietnam. He will further underscore the strength of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with his counterparts in Hanoi.
In Laos, Blinken will take part in the annual ASEAN-U.S. Post Ministerial Conference, 14th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
“During each ministerial, the Secretary will emphasize 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,” the State Department stated.
The Secretary will discuss economic cooperation, the global fight against climate change, the ongoing crisis in Burma, the importance of adherence to international law in the South China Sea, and Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, the State Department added.
In addition, Secretary Blinken will engage with senior Lao PDR officials to reaffirm the United States’ support for Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chair Year and its theme of “Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” and to further strengthen the U.S.-Laos Comprehensive Partnership. Blinken and Lao PDR Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith will also co-chair the Third Mekong-U.S. Partnership Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to reaffirm U.S. commitment to cooperation for the equitable, sustainable, and inclusive development of the Mekong sub-region.
In Japan, Blinken will be joined by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru for a Foreign and Defense Ministerial (2+2) Dialogue.
According to the statement, the four officials will reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance in addressing a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. This is also in line with building momentum for the U.S.-Japan-ROK and U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral cooperation.
In the Philippines, Blinken and Austin will meet with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro for a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, the first such meeting to be held in Manila.
“The officials will reaffirm our nations’ shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and support for international law. They will discuss ways to deepen coordination on shared challenges, including in the South China Sea, and advance our bilateral economic agenda. Secretaries Blinken and Austin will also meet with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., to explore additional ways to capitalize on the unprecedented momentum in the United States-Philippines alliance,” the U.S. State Department confirmed.
In Singapore, Blinken will meet Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. The Secretary will co-chair the second round of the U.S.-Singapore Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue, where the two sides will advance initiatives to strengthen ties between the two countries’ innovation ecosystems and reduce barriers to collaboration while protecting national security.
Finally, in Mongolia, Blinken will meet with senior Mongolian officials to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Mongolia Strategic Partnership. The officials will discuss how the United States and Mongolia can continue to strengthen democratic institutions, uphold fundamental freedoms, enhance security and national sovereignty, and expand our economic and people-to-people ties. The Secretary will further underscore the United States’ commitment to Mongolia as its “Third Neighbor,” the statement read.
