Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 25, 2012

Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones will travel to Thailand and Cambodia September 25 – October 3.

In Thailand, Dr. Jones will represent the United States at the 3^rd East Asia Summit Environment Ministers Meeting. She will meet with officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. She will additionally hold a meeting with the non-governmental organization FREELAND to discuss the illegal trade in wildlife.

In Cambodia, Dr. Jones will discuss wildlife management issues with government officials.

About the Author: Tom Weinz serves as the dedicated Foreign Service Officer for Pacific Partnership 2012.

Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12), the seventh annual iteration of the humanitarian exercise begun by the U.S. Navy following the tragic 2004 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Banda Aceh on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra, ended officially when the USNS Mercy departed Sihanoukville, Cambodia on August 11.

The mission to Cambodia was a marvelous example of all of the external personnel on Mercy coordinating seamlessly with our U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh personnel to provide an impressively geographically diverse mission. There is an excellent piece by two PP12 female helicopter pilots, as well as a video clip summarizing efforts in Cambodia, on the PP12 blog site.

Because Sihanoukville… more »

About the Author: Robert D. Hormats serves as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.

On the Fourth of July, I wrote an entry celebrating the “American Brand.” I feel even more strongly about the importance and value of the “American Brand” after a recent trip to South East Asia and the Middle East.

I traveled throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma with businessmen and women from over 50 of America’s best companies seeking opportunities to increase trade and investment in the region. The delegations — which were organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council — met with Secretary Clinton and senior foreign business leaders and government officials, including several heads of state.

Our delegations were enthusiastically greeted in every country we visited. Business and government leaders there recognized… more »

About the Author: Tom Weinz serves as the dedicated Foreign Service Officer for Pacific Partnership 2012.

Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) has arrived in Cambodia, the final host nation for this year’s mission. American Charge d’affaires Jeff Daigle welcomed participants at the opening ceremony on July 29 in Sihanoukville and emphasized PP12’s contribution to overall USG efforts in the kingdom. Rear Admiral Russell Penniman and Vice Admiral Tea Vinh spoke for the U.S. Navy and Royal Cambodian Ministry of Defense respectively. Vice Admiral Vinh offered his country’s appreciation for both the initial Pacific Partnership visit to Sihanoukville in 2010 and the current mission.

Transportation logistics is the key challenge to the Cambodian effort, as PP12 will operate along two major corridors running between the port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s second city, and the capital of Phnom Penh about five hours to the northeast. PP12’s two SH-60 helicopters have been working steadily… more »

About the Author: Aaron Bruce serves as an Editorial Assistant for DipNote.

This week’s “Photo of the Week” comes to us from Paul Watzlavick, the State Department’s East Asia and Pacific Media Hub Director, and shows U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton with participants of the Lower Mekong Initiative Women’s event in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on July 13, 2012. Secretary Clinton spoke with the women during her recent trip to Asia; she launched the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) with the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in 2009 to enhance cooperation among the countries in the areas of environment, health, education, and infrastructure development.

In her remarks at the event in Siem Reap, Secretary Clinton said, “As Secretary of State, I make these… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is greeted by locals upon her arrival to Siem Reap, Cambodia, on July 13, 2012. [State Department photo by Paul Watzlavick/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a photo with participants of the Lower Mekong Initiative Women’s event in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on July 13, 2012. [State Department photo by Paul Watzlavick/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton attends the ASEAN Gala Dinner in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 12, 2012. [State Department photo by William Ng/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with EU High Representative Catherine Ashton in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 12, 2012. [State Department photo by William Ng/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Victor Duncan serves as an intern in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Public Diplomacy. He is a graduate student who served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

On July 13, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Siem Reap, Cambodia, to meet with 200 senior government officials and business leaders from the United States and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries at the “Commitment to Connectivity: The U.S.-ASEAN Business Forum” conference. The event was hosted by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The conference brought together public and private sector leaders to address opportunities and challenges that will shape the direction of U.S.-ASEAN economic cooperation. The conference is part of the State Department’s ongoing commitment toEconomic Statecraft and supporting U.S. businesses abroad.

With the participation of high-level U.S. government officials, ASEAN,… more »