WASHINGTON, DC (May 13): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob met with US President Joe Biden and ASEAN leaders at the White House on Thursday (Friday, May 13 in Malaysia). 

Biden hosted in person the leaders of ASEAN for a two-day ASEAN-US Special Summit here starting Thursday.

The historic meeting is seen as the starting point of bringing about a positive impact on the diplomatic, trade and economic relations of Malaysia.  

Ismail Sabri also stressed the stand of ASEAN in ASEAN-US cooperation at the summit apart from hoping that the special summit would be the strategic cornerstone for ASEAN and US to study and explore pragmatic cooperation to strengthen existing ties.

Ismail Sabri also joined Biden and ASEAN leaders for a group photo at the compound of the White House.

They then proceeded to an official dinner hosted by Biden at the White House.

This is the second time such a summit with Southeast Asian leaders is hosted by an American president in the US.

In February 2016, then president Barack Obama welcomed ASEAN leaders in Sunnylands, California.

Other ASEAN leaders spotted at the White House were Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Laos Prime Minister Dr Phankham Viphavanh were also in attendance. 

The Philippines, which is currently holding its general election, is represented by its Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

There is no representative from Myanmar, a country under junta rule following the Feb 1, 2021 coup.

It was reported earlier that the Biden administration had set it as a top priority to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia.

In the previous virtual ASEAN-US Summit in October last year, Biden announced US$102 million (about RM448.44 million) in a new initiative to expand its engagement with ASEAN.

It covers Covid-19 recovery, health, security, fighting the climate change crisis, stimulating broad-based economic growth and deepening people-to-people ties.

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