Cambodian PM Hun Sen asks for US-Asean summit to be postponed

PHNOM PENH (THE PHNOM PENH POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has requested that the summit between the United States and Asean be postponed as the dates have not been fully agreed upon between member states. According to the Premier, the US had announced that the summit was scheduled for March 28 to 29, but Indonesia, who was acting as mediator, had not coordinated the scheduling with the other Asean members yet.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Cambodia-China Friendship Hospital in Tbong Khmum province on Monday (March 7), Mr Hun Sen noted that some Asean leaders wanted the summit to be held on March 26 to 27, but the US said the dates would not work for its officials, while the leaders of at least three Asean countries also said they could not attend the meeting if it was held on those dates.

"I would like to ask for a postponement if there is no agreement on the summit schedule. The Asean-US summit should be delayed," he said without proposing a new date. Mr Hun Sen hoped Asean and the US would find a suitable date to meet, saying that as the chair of Asean, he would be available for the summit on any date in March .

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