KLCC, Malaysia
21 November 2015

President Benigno S. Aquino III and the rest of the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) welcomed United States President Barack Obama in the 3rd ASEAN-United States of America Summit on the first day of the 27th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In his opening remarks, U.S. President Obama commended ASEAN for working to ensure that all nations will uphold international law on the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea for the sake of regional stability.

He congratulated the regional bloc for the formation of the ASEAN Community, saying that this is a major step towards integrated economies and greater regional stability.

President Obama is also hoping to discuss climate change since the region is feeling the effects of warmer temperature and noted that all the Member States have already submitted their post-2020 climate targets. He added that he is looking forward to discuss educational and scientific exchanges, terrorism and extremism in this 3rd ASEAN-U.S. Summit.

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