Washington DC, July 23 :
From July 24th through August 3rd, the United States Secretary of State will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia. Blinken will make his 18th trip to the Indo-Pacific area since taking office, during which he will reiterate the significance of US efforts to promote security and prosperity in the region with partners and friends, and to ease a common goal of a free and open region.
In the days following US President Joe Biden's announcement that he would not be seeking re-election, Blinken will be visiting the Indo-Pacific area. Blinken will meet with his Japanese, Indian, and Australian counterparts at the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in Tokyo while in Japan. The leaders will meet to examine ways in which the four countries can keep providing tangible advantages to the Indo-Pacific area and to reiterate their shared dedication to regional peace and prosperity.
The United States, India, Australia, and Japan form Quad, a plurilateral framework that aims to maintain an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, and inclusive. The US State Department announced in a news statement, "US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia on July 24 - August 3, 2024, his 18th trip to the Indo-Pacific region since becoming Secretary."
A free and open Indo-Pacific area is a common goal of the United States and its friends and partners, and Secretary Blinken will emphasize this importance of their work to achieve these goals. In order to address the most pressing global issues, the Secretary will "further underscore the United States' enduring commitment to deepening and expanding ties to unprecedented levels and creating mutually reinforcing relationships," the statement continued.
Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru will meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken on their visit to Japan for a Foreign and Defense Ministerial (2+2) Dialogue. The officials will continue to build on the momentum of US-Japan-South Korea and US-Japan-Philippines trilateral cooperation while reiterating the importance of the US-Japan alliance in resolving many regional, global, and bilateral concerns.
In addition, Blinken and Austin will meet with Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara for an Extended Deterrence Ministerial Meeting. The US State Department released a statement saying that the top officials will meet to talk about how they can work together to make the US extended deterrent even stronger, with the help of Japan's defense capabilities.
Secretary Blinken will attend a Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo with his counterparts from Japan, Australia, and India, according to the US State Department's news release. The leaders will review ways our four countries can keep providing tangible benefits to the Indo-Pacific area, such as through humanitarian efforts that save lives, investments of the highest quality, educational and professional exchanges, and more, while also reiterating our shared dedication to regional stability and prosperity.
Blinken will provide condolences to the Vietnamese people during his visit to Vietnam by attending the funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He will meet with his Vietnamese government counterparts in Hanoi to emphasize the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership even further.
During his time in Laos, he will attend three separate foreign ministerial meetings: the 14th East Asia Summit, the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN-US Post-Ministerial Conference. Blinken will highlight the US's support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and its shared principles with the US Indo-Pacific Strategy during each ministerial, as well as the United States' commitment to ASEAN centrality.
Blinken will talk on international climate change negotiations, economic cooperation, the continuing crisis in Burma, the significance of respect for international law in the South China Sea, and Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Additionally, Blinken will meet with high-ranking Laotian officials to reiterate U.S. backing for "Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience," the theme of Laos' ASEAN Chair Year, and to forge a stronger US-Laos Comprehensive Partnership.
At the Third Mekong-US Partnership Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which will be co-chaired by Antony Blinken and Laos Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, the United States will reiterate its dedication to working with the Mekong subregion to achieve development that is fair, sustainable, and inclusive.
In a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken will meet with Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippine Secretary of National Defense, and Enrique Manalo, the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, as stated in the press release.
The US State Department announced in a press release, "In the Philippines, Secretary Blinken and Secretary of Defence Austin will meet with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro for a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue - the first US-Philippines 2+2 to be held in Manila."
The leaders will restate the common goal of their countries: an open and free Indo-Pacific area that abides by international law. Their agendas will include advancing our bilateral economic agenda and methods to expand cooperation on common problems, such as those in the South China Sea. It was also announced that Secretaries Blinken and Austin will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of the Philippines to discuss further ways to leverage the extraordinary momentum in the US-Philippines alliance.
A assessment of the growth of bilateral cooperation on shared security, economic, climate, and technological objectives will be discussed during Blinken's meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during his visit to Singapore.
Round two of the Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue between the United States and Singapore will be co-chaired by him. Efforts to enhance cooperation and build links across our innovation ecosystems will be discussed and prioritized during the discussion, with a focus on preserving national security. In a statement issued by the US State Department, "The growing bilateral discussion regarding critical and emerging technologies further underscores the importance of the US-Singapore strategic partnership in facilitating a free, open, connected, prosperous, secure and resilient Indo-Pacific region."
Meeting with high-ranking Mongolian officials, Blinken will visit the country to restate the significance of the US-Mongolia Strategic Partnership. At the discussion, American and Mongolian leaders will talk about how to keep democracy strong, protect basic liberties, make our countries safer and more sovereign, and grow our economic and people-to-people connections. President Blinken will visit Mongolia to reaffirm America's position as the country's "Third Neighbour." The US State Department issued a news statement stating, "Secretary Blinken's engagements in each country will demonstrate the United States' unwavering commitment to our Indo-Pacific allies and partners."
