US president cancels summit meeting with Asean

An informed source told The Nation that the summit which will be held in Singapore on 5 September has been postponed due to domestic reasons.

The summit will commemorate the 30th anniversary of US-Asean relations. Singpaore is host of the upcoming Asean summit, which will celebrate the 40-year old organization.

The meeting was agreed during the recent visit to Washington DC by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The US considered the island a strategic partner in its global counter terrorism strategies.

Bush met with the other Asean leaders previously along side the Apec meeting such as the one in Busan, South Korea in 2005. Asean would like to establish the so-called Asean plus one process, which the grouping has enjoyed all key major powers including China, India, Russia and other dialogue partner.

The cancellation also affected the planned four-eye meeting between Bush and Thai Prime Minister Gen Surayud Julanont on the sideline of US-Asean summit meeting. Last month Christopher Hill, Assistant State Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, visited Thailand held talks with Surayu and agreed on the meeting.

Thai-US relations have suffered followed the coup last September. US lawmakers have strongly criticized Thailand for the coup and expressed concerns over the restriction of press freedom in the country.

The Nation