Prime Minister Hun Sen, as ASEAN chair, and other ASEAN leaders were warmly welcomed by US president Joe Biden as the ASEAN-US summit May 12-13 kicked off today in Washington.

“This evening, I welcomed ASEAN leaders to the White House for the first time in history, and reaffirmed the US commitment to Southeast Asia.

“We discussed the importance of working together to ensure security, prosperity, and respect for human rights for our one billion people,” tweeted President Biden

Prime Minister Hun Sen posted on social media, saying that ASEAN leaders had paid their condolences for the death of his late elder brother Hun Neng.

“During my trip this time, what surprised and made me happy was that President Joe Biden said to me: I share my condolences with you for the death of Your Excellency’s brother,” Hun Sen said.

“He [Biden] is a person of sentiment and was very respectful, as he has also lost close family members – he understood my sorrow and shared his own grief with me,” he added.

He said that the US had shown their appreciation to him for making the trip to the US in order to make sure the summit was a success.