Image credit: The Edge Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: The United States (US) has full confidence that Malaysia will once again be an effective Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chairman in 2025, as it has been in the past, and is extending its open arms to work closely to ensure a fruitful tenure.
Reflecting on Malaysia's previous leadership roles in 2006 and 2015, newly-appointed US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D Kagan commended the country for its effective chairmanship and professional diplomacy.
"Malaysia has historically been a very effective Asean chair. We have tremendous respect for the skill and professionalism demonstrated by Malaysia in reformulating and navigating complex regional dynamics," he said when appearing on Bernama TV's programme "The Nation" during his inaugural visit to the national news agency's headquarters here on Monday.
Affirming the US commitment to closely collaborate with Malaysia to ensure a successful chairmanship, Kagan said : "We look forward to working closely with Malaysia to ensure that it has a very successful year."
As Malaysia gears up for its chairmanship of Asean in 2025, he said Malaysia should foster close partnerships within the Asean region and beyond to ensure a successful chairmanship.
Kagan said Malaysia's ability to work closely with Asean members and dialogue partners including the US among many others will be crucial.
"Malaysia needs to continue its long-standing tradition of working closely with partners, ultimately depending a great deal on its ability to collaborate with other Asean member countries and its dialogue partners," he said.
Elaborating on the bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and the US in addressing today's evolving geopolitical landscape, Kagan pointed out that collaborative efforts, particularly in counter terrorism and maritime security, have always been significant.
"The realisation by both Malaysian and US governments that tackling the multifaceted nature of security threats, including terrorism, cannot be a solo endeavour," he said.
He noted that with the US commitment to fostering strong partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and with Malaysia being a pivotal ally, the relationship can be further strengthened through even greater cooperation.
"The work that we have done with our Malaysian counterparts, the work that Malaysia has done on its own, but also others in the region, and then bringing to bear our own experiences, has been incredibly powerful and extremely effective," he said.
The US efforts to strengthen ties with other regional powers are evident, such as through the QUAD and with countries like Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, he said.
"The world is much more unsettled now than it was a decade ago, and to deal with those threats, I believe we can work closely together with Malaysia," he said.
Kagan presented his credentials as the ambassador to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on March 24.
Tune in to Astro Channel 502, Unifi TV 631, and MYTV@121, as well as through Facebook Live Merdeka360 and Facebook and Youtube LIVE Streaming: Bernama TV, to watch the interview.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/1033341/malaysia-will-continue-be-effective-asean-chairman-us-envoy