Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Cambodia, the Philippines, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda from August 2-11, 2022.
Secretary Blinken will first travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, August 3-5 to participate in the US-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. In each minister, the Secretary will emphasize the United States’ commitment to the centrality of ASEAN and the successful implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. He will also discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, economic cooperation, the fight against climate change, the crisis in Burma, and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Secretary will meet bilaterally with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn to discuss US support for ASEAN and efforts to strengthen our bilateral relationship with Cambodia. Secretary Blinken will also engage with alumni of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
In Manila, Philippines, on August 6, the Secretary will meet with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo to discuss bilateral efforts to strengthen the US-Philippines alliance, including through increased cooperation in energy, trade, and investment, promoting value -our shared democratic values, and pandemic recovery.
Then, Secretary Blinken will go to South Africa August 7-9. The Secretary will launch the US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, which reinforces the US view that African countries are geostrategic players and critical partners on today’s most pressing issues, from promoting an open and stable international system, to addressing the effects of climate change , food insecurity and global pandemics, to shape our technological and economic future.
In Pretoria, he will lead the US delegation to the US-South Africa Strategic Dialogue to reinforce and strengthen our commitment to bilateral cooperation on global issues as well as a number of shared priorities, including health, infrastructure, trade and investment, and climate. . In Johannesburg, she will join South Africa’s celebration of National Women’s Day.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo on August 9-10, the Secretary will meet with senior DRC government officials and members of civil society to discuss our mutual interests in ensuring free, inclusive and fair elections in 2023, promoting respect for human rights and protecting fundamental freedoms. He will also focus on fighting corruption, supporting trade and investment, addressing the climate crisis, building agricultural resilience, and supporting regional African efforts to promote peace in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.
Finally, the Secretary will travel to Rwanda on August 10-11, where he will meet with senior Rwandan government officials and members of civil society to discuss shared priorities, including peacekeeping. The Secretary will focus on the role the Rwandan government can play in reducing the tension and violence going on in eastern DRC. He will also raise issues of democracy and human rights, including transnational repression, limiting the space for dissent and political opposition, and detaining one of the US Legal Permanent Resident Paul Rusesabagina.
