PRESIDENT OBAMA HOSTS ASEAN LEADERS AT NEW YORK SUMMIT

From Mokhtar Hussain

NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast East Asian Nations (Asean) on Friday held discussions with United States President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly
here.

The Asean-US leaders meeting was jointly chaired by Obama as the host and
President Nguyen Minh Triet of Vietnam, the current chairman of Asean.

The two-hour meeting was held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue,
attended by most heads of governments of the Southeast Asian nations.

They include Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Thai Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Sultan Hassanal
Bolkiah of Brunei.

Najib was accompanied by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

Also present was Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

The New York summit was called by President Obama. He first met them in
Singapore last year.

The US is reportedly giving greater focus to the region, rated the fifth largest
export market by the US business community, to tap into its vast business
potential.

Earlier, the Asean leaders had a breakfast meeting with representatives of the
US Business Council.

Immediately after the summit, Najib had back-to-back meetings, among others,
with US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and Founder
of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales.
-- BERNAMA