Month: March 2022

WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden will play host to a special summit of the United States and leaders of Southeast Asian leaders on March 28 and 29 in Washington, the White House announced.

The White House summit, part of US efforts to step up engagement with a region Washington sees as critical to its efforts to push back against China’s growing power, had been expected earlier in the year, but scheduling was delayed by Covid-19 concerns.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian leaders (Asean) will commemorate 45 years of US-Asean relations.

“It is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner and to strengthen an empowered and unified Asean to address the challenges of our time,” she said in announcing the summit.

On a visit to Malaysia in December, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the 10-member Asean bloc was “essential to the architecture of the Indo-Pacific region”.

He said the summit was expected to discuss the crisis caused by last year’s military takeover in Myanmar and issues such as pandemic recovery, climate change, investment and infrastructure.

The Biden administration has declared the Indo-Pacific and competition with China its principal foreign policy focus, which it is keen to maintain despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biden joined Asean leaders in a virtual summit in October, the first time in four years Washington had engaged at top level with the bloc.

He pledged to stand with Asean in defending freedom of the seas and democracy, and said Washington would start talks on developing a regional economic framework, something critics say US Asia strategy has lacked since his predecessor Donald Trump quit a regional trade pact.

The Biden administration announced a 12-page strategy for the Indo-Pacific in early February, in which it vowed to commit more diplomatic and security resources to the region to counter what it sees as China’s bid to create a regional sphere of influence and become the world’s most influential power.

The document reiterated US plans to launch a regional economic framework in early 2022, but few details of that have emerged and the Biden administration has been reluctant to offer the increased market access Asian countries desire, seeing this as threatening American jobs.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

SEOUL— Russian President Vladimir Putin had his honorary black belt in taekwondo revoked by the sport’s international governing body on Tuesday, over his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

As Russian troops amass outside Kyiv, and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees flee into neighbouring countries, world leaders have heaped punishing economic sanctions on Putin and his closest allies, as well as Russian-linked businesses.

The sporting world has had a similar reaction: Russia was booted out of qualifying for this year’s football World Cup, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has urged federations to exclude athletes from Russia, as well as from its ally Belarus.

World Taekwondo, which governs international federations for the sport, was the latest to condemn Putin, saying Tuesday that Moscow’s actions went against the sport’s vision: “Peace is more precious than triumph.”

“In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr Vladimir Putin in November 2013,” the Seoul-based body said in an official statement.

It added that official taekwondo events would not be organised in Russia or Belarus.

In line with the IOC’s urging, the flags and anthems of both countries will also not be displayed or played at taekwondo events around the world.

“World Taekwondo’s thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and we hope for a peaceful and immediate end to this war,” it said.

Putin does not actually do taekwondo, but is instead accomplished in judo, another martial art, and has long served as an honorary president to the International Judo Federation.

On Sunday the IJF suspended his status as honorary president and ambassador to the sport.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

The Philippines joins all ASEM Partners from Asia and Europe in celebrating the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Day on 01 March 2022. This year marks the 26th anniversary of the forum.

The Philippines, as a founding member of ASEM, attaches great importance to this multilateral platform. Within the ASEM framework, the Philippines continues to work on projects related to disaster management and mitigation, renewable energy, higher education and people-to-people exchanges. Human rights, maritime security, counter-terrorism, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are also high in the Philippine agenda in ASEM.

During the 13th ASEM Summit held on 25-26 November 2021, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte called on ASEM Partners to work together for inclusive COVID-19 recovery and climate action guided by the principles of justice, fairness, and equality.

From its establishment in 1996, ASEM composed of 53 partners from Asia and Europe, has become the most comprehensive informal dialogue between Asia and Europe. The ASEM dialogue addresses political, economic, and socio-cultural issues, aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two regions in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership.

In line with the Philippines’ commitment to ASEM, President Duterte declared 01 March 2017 and every year thereafter as ASEM Day.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs