Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Lao People’s Democratic Republic Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith Before Their Meeting

FOREIGN MINISTER KOMMASITH: I'm glad that you could make it, so (inaudible) on the schedule so that we can fit in (inaudible) as well as the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (inaudible), because that's really important to our bilateral relations (inaudible), and we are aware that next year we're going to (inaudible), we look forward to that. (Laughter.) Now, so I look forward to working very closely with you and to chair ASEAN this year (inaudible) U.S., our bilateral (inaudible) 70 years anniversary of our diplomatic relations tell us only how extensive our bilateral relations (inaudible). (Inaudible) welcome to you (inaudible.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you so much. It's - really, it's wonderful to be in Laos. We strongly support your chairmanship of ASEAN. We do want to make sure that we do everything we can to ensure a very successful leaders' meeting. I have to say for us, the United States, we're committed to ASEAN's centrality. We've been, I think, a good partner to ASEAN for 50 years now. We want to make sure that the comprehensive strategic partnership that we have with ASEAN really fully takes flight, and we're working very hard on that.

But also couldn't be more pleased to be here in Laos in terms of our own partnership and bilateral relationship. And as you said, we very much look forward to continuing to deepen it and to strengthen it and to work with you. And I also want to thank you for the work that Laos has done on the Mekong-U.S. (inaudible) partnership.

FOREIGN MINISTER KOMMASITH: Yes.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I think we have a very significant, important day ahead of us here, and then of course, in the fall. So thank you so much.

FOREIGN MINISTER KOMMASITH: Thank you.