Obama vows longterm engagement with Asia

Speaking at the ASEAN summit of Southeast Asian leaders on his final visit to Asia as US president, Obama said on Tuesday that his country's commitment to the region would outlast his term in office.

"America's interests in the Asia-Pacific is not new. It's not a passing fad. It reflects fundamental national interests," Obama said in his speech in the Lao capital, Vientiane.

Obama highlighted increased US military cooperation with countries such as the Philippines, Singapore and India, as well as Washington's bid to promote trade with the region, saying "you can count on the United States of America."

Among other things, he also said the US was obliged morally to help Laos heal the wounds left from the Vietnam War, when American warplanes dropped millions of bombs on the country in a covert operation.

"As a result of that conflict, many people fled or were driven from their homes. At the time, America did not acknowledge its role," he said.

"I believe the United States has a moral obligation to help Laos heal," he added.

North Korean threat

He also used his speech to deliver a warning to Pyongyang over its controversial weapons tests," which have been forbidden by the United Nations.

"Today I'll be meeting with (South Korean) President Park (Geun-hye) to reaffirm our unbreakable alliance and to insist that the international community remains united so that North Korea understands its provocations will only continue to deepen its isolation," he said.

The 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

On Thursday, ASEAN leaders will meet with those from other countries including the United States, China, Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Obama will attend Thursday's summit.

'Greater progress and opportunity'

Earlier, Obama was greeted by a military band and traditional dancers as he opened his historic visit as the first sitting US president to go to Laos.

At a meeting with Laos' President Bounnhang Vorachit, Obama said he hoped to forge a partnership that would "make our two countries whole again" and create "greater progress and opportunity for the people of Laos."

He also pledged $90 million (80.69 million euros) to help clear millions of unexploded bombs in the country dating back to the Vietnam War, when the US carried out its nine-year covert bombing campaign aimed at cutting off communist forces in the neighboring country.

On Wednesday, Obama is scheduled to visit an organization in Vientiane that works with people who have been disabled by unexploded ordnance.

The US has already contributed $100 million to clearing unexploded ordnance over the past 20 years, helping reduce annual deaths from more than 300 to fewer than 50, according to the White House. However, according to the US-based NGO Legacies of War, less than 1 percent of the estimated 80 million bombs that failed to detonate have been cleared so far.

Vorachit "welcomed the US government's continued commitment to clear unexploded ordnance, assist victims, prevent future casualties and develop local capacity to ensure sustainability of this work," a joint statement said.

Strategic region

Obama's visit to Laos is being seen not just as a mission to heal war wounds, but also as part of US efforts to bolster relations with Southeast Asian countries in what Washington has called "a pivot to Asia" in a bid to counter China's dominance in the region.

The visit to the region met with a hitch on Tuesday, with the White House calling off a planned meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte after he referred to Obama as a "son of a whore."

Obama later said of Duterte's comment: "Clearly, he's a colorful guy." Duterte himself voiced regret at the personal attack on Obama.

The Philippines, a former US colony, has traditionally been a close ally of Washington, and the present tensions are unusual.

tj/jil (AP, dpa, AFP, Reuters)