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Biden arrives in Cambodia as global leaders join ASEAN summit

Bilateral talks on various security partnership efforts to take place

ASEAN-SUMMIT/ ASEAN leaders pose for a group photo during the ASEAN summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia November 12, 2022 | Reuters

United States President Joe Biden arrives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the venue for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual summit and a parallel East Asian Summit, on Saturday. 

A bilateral meeting on various topics including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework announced this year and security partnership efforts will be held with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.  

"He's coming into this set of summits with that record of accomplishment and purpose behind him, and he wants to be able to use the next 36 hours to build on that foundation to take American engagement forward, and also to deliver a series of concrete, practical initiatives," Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan was quoted by CNN. 

"President Trump didn't attend a single East Asian Summit during four years in office," Greg Poling, head of the Southeast Asia programme at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies," Greg Poling, head of the Southeast Asia programme at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, was quoted by Reuters. 

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are among the other leaders to hold talks on Saturday. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Yoon met ASEAN leaders on Friday. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will also attend the meetings. The Russia-Ukraine invasion is likely to be discussed at the summit. According to reports, the Ukraine representative held direct talks with leaders of the ASEAN countries for condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the meeting. 

A Series of regional summits including discussions on climate and tensions over the South China Sea will be held next week at the G20 leaders meet to be held in Bali. After that, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum will take place in Bangkok. 

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