SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, thank you. First of all, let me thank you, my colleague from Cambodia, for being our country coordinator now for the second year, two years and running, and I think we’ve got one more together, and we appreciate very much all the work you put into this. I also want to thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. I appreciate very much all of the efforts that have gone into putting this on and involving us in this process.
As President Trump stated last year at the leaders meeting, the U.S.-ASEAN, at the summit, we’re with ASEAN 100 percent. This is the primary mechanism by which we engage the region, and you will continue to see our commitment to it at the highest levels, including with our ambassador, who recently came on board. And in addition to our ambassador here in the host country – who, by the way, have done a phenomenal job; thank you for hosting us. We’ve fallen in love with your country. I visited here many years ago as a senator, but it’s so much more fun to visit as a Secretary of State. But we appreciate that. I know how much work goes into putting one of these on, and you’ve done a phenomenal job, and we thank you.
Before we get into the other topics, I know there’s an area that’s on everyone’s mind, and it’s what’s occurring in the Middle East. And I just want to reiterate once again, the United States is always committed to diplomacy. We are open-minded and always willing to engage in negotiated settlements of differences. And that remains true in the case of Iran.
Unfortunately, as of now, despite their direct outreaches – and Iran has been reaching out to the United States, both directly and indirectly, to engage in talks about settling the differences with regards to what’s happening in that part of the world. Unfortunately, so far, even though we have reached agreements, they have not kept their commitments. And as the President stated earlier today, I guess, yes, today Washington time, yesterday our time here now, the problem we’re having right now is that they’re not serious about talks. If they’re serious, we’re serious. If they’re not, then we will do what is necessary to protect that, our interests, and also the interests of our allies.
At its core, it’s very simple. Iran demands the right, which they do not have under any existing legal mechanism, to control the transit of traffic through the Straits of Hormuz. This is an international waterway. And of all the regions in the world, the one I don’t need to talk – teach about the importance of freedom of navigation in international waterways, it is this region. And if we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region.
So what is at stake here is not simply the issue of what’s happening in the Straits of Hormuz. It’s a very fundamental principle about freedom of navigation. And if that is threatened, then I think the global economy is threatened and the rules which have underpinned 150 years of international trade and commerce are also threatened. And that cannot be allowed to happen.
But as I said, the United States remains open and willing to engage in positive, constructive negotiations and talks so long as the commitments that are made are kept. And when those commitments are not kept, which is what’s happened in this particular case, then there will be consequences. And that has to happen. If these consequences did not exist, then today we would be living in a world where the significant percentage of the energy supply of this region and 20 percent of the energy supply of the world is being held hostage by a nation-state, by a rogue regime, who intends to appropriate that and the right of tolling and controlling that shipping to itself – a right they do not have under any definition of international laws, particularly those that govern maritime transit.
Now, I want to talk briefly about our partnership here in this regard as well. I’m proud to announce that the United States’ commitment is being evidenced – to ASEAN is being evidenced by action. The United States is now going to, as we announced last year and have been following up in the year since our last gathering, leverage all available tools in our government to strengthen these relations, and that includes on the topic of foreign assistance.
As part of that effort, we’re delivering $2.5 billion in U.S. Government strategic investments in Southeast Asia, reinforcing our commitment to the region, and we’re investing because the development of ASEAN is also in the interest of the United States. This is not charity. This is not something we’re doing because we’re nice people – although I believe we are nice people, but it’s in our national interest. Our partnership with each of your countries and the region at large, it’s in the national interest of the United States, and we will never abandon it. No matter what else is going on in the world, no matter what our bilateral relations may be with other countries, we’re a powerful country that has a global reach, and so we have to have relations with powerful countries with whom we have some disagreements. But that will never come at the expense of our alliances, it will never come at the expense of our partners, and it will never come at the expense of our national interest. And our relationship with each country represented here today is in our national interest.
In addition, we are also seeking to leverage other financial tools available to our government to seek new opportunities within ASEAN. The recent approval by the Development Finance Corporation to provide $1.5 billion in new strategic investments advancing aviation infrastructure, energy security, and secure supply chains is among the things we want to achieve together with all of you.
As this region becomes the engine of economic growth in the 21st century – and I’ve said this with all due respect to other parts of the world that we also care about and are involved in – but I believe very much that the future and the story of the 21st century will be written in this region and by how events unfold here. And the security and prosperity of the United States and Southeast Asia will always depend on each other.
In ASEAN, as ASEAN develops its digital economy, diversifies its sources of energy, and builds a more secure supply chain, the United States wants to provide solutions to these regional issues. We want to be among your featured and most trusted partners in each of these endeavors. We’re committing to support security in the region through nearly $130 million in assistance to ASEAN countries for demining, which reflects our commitment to the safety of everyday citizens. We recognize that pragmatism underpins programs and activities in ASEAN, and we want to support a safer and more secure Southeast Asia for your peoples.
We’re also continuing to boost energy security in the region by supporting LNG market development, the deployment of U.S. grid technologies, and support to the ASEAN power grid, building safe, secure, and responsible civil nuclear energy programs and investing in regional energy infrastructure, including critical mineral supply chains. As ASEAN seeks to implement its ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement, the United States will continue to stay heavily engaged on energy-related issues.
The United States, as I said earlier and I repeat again, stands with ASEAN, and we’re working together to strengthen our economies and our people through forward-looking collaboration that will ensure that the U.S. is your reliable and durable partner for the next 50 years and beyond. So I look forward to our discussion today on the issues that will shape our comprehensive strategic partnership for the years to come. Thank you.