Enhancing United States – ASEAN Cooperation

Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick announced new measures to enhance U.S. relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During a July 28 meeting with ASEAN Foreign Ministers, co-chaired by Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi and Deputy Secretary Zoellick, the two sides agreed to begin negotiations for a U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership. The Deputy Secretary suggested that this agreement identify mutual goals and priorities for our relationship and an action plan to achieve our common vision across a full range of economic, political and security issues. The Deputy Secretary also proposed to ASEAN Ministers the following initiatives under the ASEAN Cooperation Plan announced in August 2002 to advance shared U.S.-ASEAN interests on issues such as trade, transnational crime and disaster management.

* Environmental and Wildlife Conservation Projects: Package of U.S. government initiatives to support ASEAN efforts to combat the $10 billion black market in wildlife that threatens global biodiversity, endangers public health, and undermines economic wellbeing. These include support for an ASEAN-wide law enforcement network to bolster the capacity of ASEAN states to enforce wildlife laws, share information and intelligence and prosecute offenders; support for an ASEAN ministerial conference in Bangkok to begin implementing the recently adopted ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora; and technical assistance to fund practical training for ASEAN environmental professionals for priority goals such as controlling invasive alien species, preventing tiger poaching and raising environmental awareness.

* Extension of Trade Capacity Building, Technical Assistance and Training Program: Extension for another year of a U.S. technical assistance and training program, located in the ASEAN Secretariat, that assists ASEAN with economic integration, trade facilitation, staff training, cyber-security and other mutually agreed priorities.

* Counter-terrorism Assistance: Assistance for activities under the 2003 U.S.-ASEAN Counter-terrorism Work Plan that may include supporting ASEAN efforts to develop an ambitious plan to combat transnational crime, a seminar on managing a rewards program to facilitate terrorist investigations and prosecutions; and a seminar on enhancing maritime domain awareness to help secure Southeast Asia’s vital sea lanes.

* Enhanced Access to Energy: U.S. government support for ASEAN participation in the World Bank’s Development Marketplace in the Philippines in Spring 2006 to assist in developing and marketing innovative energy development programs and a pan-regional "Clean Energy Financing Workshop" designed to bring financiers from private banks and public organizations together with project developers from ASEAN countries to mobilize increased financing for clean energy projects.