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| U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the Lao National Cultural Hall in Vientiane, Laos, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016. |
U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday the United States is more engaged in the Asia-Pacific region than it has been in decades and that the region will become even more important in the future.
"America's interest in the Asia-Pacific is not new," Obama said during a visit to Laos. "It's not a passing fad. It reflects fundamental national interests."
The speech reflected on his administration's effort to rebalance U.S. foreign policy with a focus on the region.
Obama set out a series of principles underpinning that strategy, including stressing the need for upholding human rights and the sovereignty of every nation. He said every nation, regardless of size, should play by the same rules, and that governments need to work together to address larger problems like human trafficking and climate change.
Obama pledged to push for the passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, calling it a "core pillar" of the Asia-Pacific rebalance and said failing to move forward with the trade pact would have economic consequences and call America's leadership into question. Critics argue the deal will eliminate jobs in the U.S.
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| U.S. President Barack Obama (3rd L) sits down to a bilateral meeting with Laos President Bounnhang Vorachith (3rd R), ahead of the ASEAN Summit, at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane, Laos, September 6, 2016. |
Obama met earlier Tuesday with Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachit in Vientiane and announced a three-year, $90 million contribution to Laos for a national survey of unexploded ordnance and efforts to clear the bombs dropped by U.S. forces in the 1960s and 1970s.
About one-third of the 2.2 million bombs dropped on Laos remain undenotated and the lingering threat has slowed development in the country.
"Given our history here, I believe the United States has a moral obligation to help Laos heal," said Obama, who is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos.
The White House said the two countries launched a new era in relations based on mutual respect and "a shared desire to heal the wounds of the past." It included a partnership on issues of the economy, technology, education, security, the environment and human rights.
Laos, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has been criticized for its human rights record. Obama and Vorachit noted in their meeting Tuesday "the benefits of a candid and open dialogue" to narrow differences on rights.
On the streets of Vientiane, residents expressed tempered hope about the future, well after President Obama departs and the summits come to a close.
“About Obama coming, a lot of people are happy. This is interesting for a lot of people,” said Sompaseuth Kounnavong, who runs a small grocery store near the site of the summits.
“For the short term, it is good for business,” she said. But the shop owner declined to predict beyond that, adding simply “We want to see everything change.”
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| U.S. President Barack Obama (R) is welcome by Laos President Bounnhang Vorachith at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane, Laos, September 6, 2016. |
Mek Boubong, who works in the tourism industry, was more optimistic.
“I hope his coming here will help the country develop,” he beamed. “Everything is changing.”
Obama is attending the ASEAN summit and the East Asia summit this week. He will also meet with other regional leaders before departing on Thursday, marking the end of his eleventh and final trip to Asia as U.S. president.
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