Obama's chief trade advisor to visit Cambodia, meet ASEAN ministers

The United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk, President Obama's Chief Trade Advisor, will be visiting Cambodia's Siem Reap province on Aug. 30-31 to participate in the 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers' meetings and the ASEAN-US Business Summit, according to a press release from the US Embassy in Cambodia on Monday.

"The ten ASEAN countries are key economic and strategic partners for the United States, and Ambassador Kirk's visit to Cambodia will demonstrate the United States' support for ASEAN integration and desire to deepen economic engagement with the region, as well as highlight broader US goals for economic relations in the Asia-Pacific," said the press release.

Kirk's schedule will include a meeting of the ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) Council, an informal meeting of the East Asia Summit Economic Ministers, and the first ever ASEAN-US Business Summit.

The press release said that the ASEAN-US Business Summit provides an opportunity for business representatives from the United States and ASEAN to exchange views on promoting economic growth and innovation, and to convey their shared recommendations in direct dialogue with the ASEAN trade ministers.

With a theme of innovation and the digital economy, it will focus on topics such as cloud computing, innovations in the food industry, and the use of technology to enhance business competitiveness, trade, and economic growth, it added.

On the margins of the Ministers' meetings, Kirk will also meet separately with Cambodian leaders and other participating ministers to discuss bilateral trade issues and objectives for regional partnerships, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership ( TPP) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

The 44th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related meetings will be held in Siem Reap, the cultural province of Cambodia from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1, according to a press release from Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will open the 44th meeting on Aug. 27.

The meeting will discuss topics relevant to trade liberalization and economic cooperation among the ten ASEAN countries and the meetings between ASEAN economic ministers and dialogue countries including China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United States, Canada and Russia.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-The Philippine Star (August 21, 2012)