Travel to Belgium, Turkey, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Hawaii, May 25 – June 4, 2021

Summary

• Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman traveled to Brussels, Ankara, Jakarta, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, and Honolulu May 25 to June 4.

• In Brussels, the Deputy Secretary met with foreign counterparts representing Belgium, the EU, and NATO to discuss key policy priorities, including strengthening cooperation with allies and partners, supporting the global recovery from COVID-19, and countering the influence of challenging foreign actors. While in Brussels, Deputy Secretary Sherman led the first meeting of the U.S.-EU Dialogue on China with European Union External Action Service Secretary General Stefano Sannino. The Deputy Secretary then traveled to Ankara to engage with government officials and civil society. Deputy Secretary Sherman underscored the importance of the U.S.-Turkey relationship as we work together with our NATO Ally to confront mutual challenges, and discussed areas of concern.

• From Ankara, Deputy Secretary Sherman traveled to Southeast Asia, where she reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to ASEAN centrality and addressed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including efforts to urge the Burmese military to cease violence, release all those unjustly detained, and restore Burma to the path of democracy. In Jakarta, she met Indonesian government officials to discuss the growing U.S.-Indonesia partnership and how the two countries can collaborate to address regional challenges. While in Jakarta, she also met with officials from the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives to discuss expanding and deepening the U.S.-ASEAN strategic partnership. In Phnom Penh, the Deputy Secretary held a series of meetings. In Bangkok, the Deputy Secretary met with Thai government officials to discuss U.S.-Thai security cooperation, expanding economic ties, promoting fundamental freedoms, Mekong regional issues, the crisis in Burma, and deepening cultural ties between the American and Thai people.

• Finally, in Honolulu, Deputy Secretary Sherman met with officials at INDOPACOM to discuss U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific.