Remarks by Obama and President Triet Of Vietnam in NYC

This meeting took place yesterday.

Remarks By President Obama and President Triet Of Vietnam at Opening Of U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting

Waldorf Astoria Hotel
New York, New York

1:08 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everyone. To all the leaders who are here as well as the delegations, welcome. I want to thank my fellow leaders for being here and for making this the first U.S.-ASEAN leaders meeting to take place in the United States. This reflects ASEAN’s growing importance and the unprecedented cooperation between ASEAN and the United States.

As a Pacific nation, the United States has an enormous stake in the people and the future of Asia. The region is home to some of our largest trading partners and buys many of our exports, supporting millions of American jobs. We need partnerships with Asian nations to meet the challenges of growing our economy, preventing proliferation and addressing climate change.

As President, I’ve, therefore, made it clear that the United States intends to play a leadership role in Asia. So we’ve strengthened old alliances; we've deepened new partnerships, as we are doing with China; and we’ve reengaged with regional organizations, including ASEAN.

Last year in Singapore, I was proud to become the first American President to meet with all 10 ASEAN leaders. Today, I’m pleased to host our second meeting as we elevate our partnership to meet the shared challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Read the rest