U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) cosponsored a bipartisan resolution ahead of this week’s special United States summit being held for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia.
The White House is hosting the two-day summit to welcome the ASEAN — which is composed of representatives from member states Brunei-Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand — and to urge continued cooperation to advance mutual interests.
Sen. Romney on May 5 joined sponsor U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to introduce Senate Resolution 616, which calls on ASEAN to prioritize democracy, human rights and good governance in light of concerning democratic backsliding occurring in Southeast Asia, and urges its reaffirmed commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, according to a summary provided by the lawmakers.
“Ahead of the ASEAN Special Summit…, I join my colleagues in reaffirming the commitment of the United States to strengthening our relationships with our friends in South East Asia,” Sen. Romney said. “The U.S. has prodigious challenges in the region — including ensuring that the U.S., our partners in ASEAN, and our friends in the region have full access to the South China Sea as China continues to try to restrict access to these waters.
“I also hope that the summit will lead to steps for strengthening a robust economic agenda for the U.S. and our ASEAN partners,” said Sen. Romney.
Sen. Menendez said the summit provides the U.S. “a crucial opportunity” to promote a free, open, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, as well as an important opportunity to engage ASEAN partners on issues ranging from maritime security to climate change and to human rights concerns in the region.
“Our collective success in maintaining stability, promoting economic growth, and advancing the rule of law remains rooted in our commitment to protect human rights and individuals’ fundamental dignity,” he said.
The Senate resolution has been referred to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee for consideration.