MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is convening the two-day ASEAN-US Directors-General Meeting in Manila beginning tomorrow to draft a new Plan of Action to Implement the 2011 to 2016 ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership, despite the absence of Scott Marciel, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and US Ambassador to ASEAN.
“Ambassador Marciel is not coming due to schedule conflict but the meeting will go forward,” US Embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson said.
Marciel was supposed to head the US delegation.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Pablo Maglaya will head the Philippine delegation.
The Philippines, as the current ASEAN Country Coordinator for ASEAN-US dialogue relations, is tasked to lead the drafting of the new Plan of Action.
The regional bloc met with the President of the United States – the first meeting in 32 years of ASEAN-US relations – during the 1st ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting in Singapore on Nov. 15.
The current 2006-2010 Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership was signed by former US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN member states in July 2006. It will expire in 2010.