(Photo: asean.usmission.gov)

The agreement, signed by ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi and Ryan Washburn,  Principal Officer to ASEAN of the US Agency for International Development, will encourage rule-based systems in support of a peaceful, secure and prosperous ASEAN, in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN-US Plan of Action until 2025, and the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-US Special Summit.

The new five-year deal, worth up to 50 million USD, underscores the US commitment to regional development.

The signing ceremony took place at the ASEAN Secretariat as part of the ASEAN-US Ministerial Meeting last Thursday, marking another milestone of the ASEAN-US strategic partnership and development cooperation.