ASEAN SECRETARY-GENERAL THANKS SECRETARY CLINTON

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000335 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: ASEAN PREL PGOV ID SUBJECT: ASEAN SECRETARY-GENERAL THANKS SECRETARY CLINTON ¶2. Post has received a letter and gift from ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan to Secretary Clinton thanking her for her visit to the ASEAN Secretariat. The unedited text of the invitation letter is reproduced in full below. The original letter and the gift are being pouched to the Department. ¶3. Begin text of letter: ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL Ref: BERC/124/ER/US/Vol. 1/(010) 20 February 2009 The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington D.C. Dear Secretary Clinton, I would like to thank you for visiting the ASEAN Secretariat on 18 February 2009. My staff and I are very grateful to you for taking time out from your official visit to Indonesia to make a historic visit to the ASEAN Secretariat. Your visit to the Secretariat clearly demonstrated the seriousness of the US to re-establish the US diplomatic presence in this region and to robustly re-engage ASEAN in order to take our ties to a higher plane. As a region, ASEAN - East Asia is ready, able and willing to work with the US in the search for solutions to global impasses, including bridging the cultural divide. I warmly welcome the Obama Administration's commitment to launch its interagency process to pursue accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. I look forward to meeting you at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference and at the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2009 in Thailand. Please accept, Secretary Clinton, the assurances of my highest consideration. //s// Dr. Surin Pitsuwan End text. ¶4. Text of handwritten note: Madam Secretary, Thanks for the honor and the friendship extended to all of us at the ASEAN Secretariat. All of my staff were excited and inspired with your presence. Thanks again. Surin Pitsuwan. End text. HUME