Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met today with the 10 ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to discuss the U.S.-ASEAN strategic partnership and affirm the United States' commitment to ASEAN centrality.
Deputy Secretary Sherman emphasized the continued U.S. commitment to combating the COVID-19 pandemic, including the more than 40 million doses the United States has donated to ASEAN countries to date. She also highlighted U.S. focus on providing the region with a positive economic agenda and our partnership to address regional challenges, including freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas and restoring Burma's path toward democracy.
The Deputy Secretary shared that the President's October announcement of intent to provide more than $100 million in new funding for U.S.-ASEAN Futures initiatives reflects the Biden-Harris Administration's deep commitment to ASEAN's central role in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. She also thanked Brunei for its extraordinary efforts as ASEAN Chair during a very challenging year.
