By Salmy Hashim, Bernama,
Washington : The United States Senate yesterday confirmed career foreign service officer Scot Marciel as its first ambassador for Asean affairs.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Richard Lugar, who first mooted the idea for the position in 2006, said: “This is an extraordinary milestone affirming the strong bipartisan commitment of American leaders and the American people to maintain and broaden our relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”
“President Bush’s nomination of Mr Marciel and the subsequent Senate confirmation establishes the precedent of the United States being the first country to appoint an ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” said Lugar.
In 2006, the Senate passed Senator Lugar’s original legislation creating the position of the US Ambassador for Asean Affairs.
The bill received the support of leading senators, including Senators Joe Biden, John Kerry, Kit Bond, and Barack Obama, who co-sponsored the original Asean Ambassador legislation.
“A career foreign service officer with extensive experience in Southeast Asia, Mr Marciel brings exemplary credentials to this position. I look forward to working with him to strengthen the already robust US–ASEAN relationship,” said Senator Lugar.
With a population of nearly 600 million, Asean represents the fourth largest export market of the United States.
Asean was originally established in 1967 with an initial membership of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Membership today also includes Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.