KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Embassy in Washington, D.C. recently welcomed United States National Security Advisor Lt-Gen H. R. McMaster during an Asean working luncheon.
Hosted by Malaysian ambassador to the US, Tan Sri Zulhasnan Rafique, who is also the Chair of the Asean Committee in Washington (ACW), the luncheon was attended by Asean ambassadors and representatives to the country.
The presence of McMaster, accompanied by US National Security Council Southeast Asia and Asean Affairs director Brenan Richards, marked the first time any US cabinet member has visited an embassy in the US capital.
At the luncheon, McMaster and the ambassadors exchanged views on wide-ranging issues from trade and economic relations between the country and Asean, security cooperation and various regional security issues of mutual concern such as North Korea as well as the South China Sea.
Also discussed was the impending visit by US President Donald Trump to Southeast Asia in November.
The direct engagement between McMaster and Asean ambassadors reflects the increasing interest in the region by US administration, which was further bolstered by the recent high-level visits from Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines and later this month, from Singapore.
The ACW, consisting of ambassadors from Asean countries, aims at promoting Asean’s interest and identity in the country. It also serves as a platform for communication, engagement, and between Asean and the US.
Earlier this year, the Asean ambassadors had met with US State Secretary and Commerce Secretary Rex Tillerson and Wilbur Ross, respectively, and had received briefings by the State Department and Defense Department, to discuss various political, strategic and economic aspects of the region's relations with the country, in order to further strengthen Asean-US cooperation.