Travel to Egypt, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand on November 11-18, 2022

Summary

• Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken traveled to Egypt, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand on November 11-18.

• While in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on November 11, Secretary Blinken joined President Biden at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (“COP-27”) to advance the United States’ efforts to strengthen global climate ambition.  The Secretary supported the President in urging countries to implement their climate commitments, encouraging all nationally determined contributions to be aligned with the 1.5 degree Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement, and ensuring COP-27 is responsive to the priorities and needs of the African continent and of vulnerable developing countries and communities everywhere.

• While in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 12-13, Secretary Blinken supported President Biden’s participation in the U.S.-ASEAN and East Asia Summits. The President and Secretary reaffirmed our partnership with ASEAN and support for ASEAN centrality and discussed regional and global challenges, including the ongoing humanitarian and human rights crisis in Burma.  The United States underscored the importance of U.S.-ASEAN cooperation in ensuring security and prosperity in the region and the wellbeing of our combined one billion people.

• While in Bali, Indonesia, on November 13-16, Secretary Blinken supported President Biden’s participation in the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  The President and Secretary commended President Widodo’s leadership of the G20 and highlighted the U.S. commitment to this premier forum for economic cooperation with countries representing more than 80 percent of the world’s GDP.  The United States reinforced our commitment to work with G20 partners to address key challenges such as climate change and the global impact of President Putin’s war on Ukraine, including on energy and food security and affordability, as well as a range of other priorities important to the global economic recovery.

• In Bangkok, Thailand, on November 16-17, the Secretary advanced economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote free, fair, and open trade and investment and advance inclusive and sustainable growth with other foreign and trade ministers at the APEC Ministerial Meeting.  He also supported Vice President Kamala Harris’s participation in APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, where she underscored U.S. economic leadership and outlined U.S. goals for our APEC host year in 2023, which will build on the progress from Thailand’s host year.