Secretary Blinken held talks with G7 members and leaders from participating countries
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hawaii from December 9-17 to strengthen ties with allies.
On December 10, U.S. Secretary Blinken arrived in Liverpool, United Kingdom on a three-day visit to attend the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting.
During his visit, Secretary Blinken held talks with G7 members and leaders from participating countries, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
According to Department of State (DoS) briefing, the U.S. secretary of state “discussed a range of issues, including geopolitical and security matters, the buildup of Russian forces on Ukraine’s border, development infrastructure through the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative, COVID-19 vaccines and global health security, and growth in the Indo-Pacific region.”
From December 13 to 16, Secretary Blinken traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
In the Indonesian capital city Jakarta, the U.S. secretary delivered remarks on the “significance of the Indo-Pacific region and underscored the importance of the U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership,” the statement read.
![U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken departs Jakarta, Indonesia, en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 14, 2021. [Department of State photo by Ron Przysucha]](https://i0.wp.com/www.theworldinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Secretary-Blinken-Southeast-Asia-Trip.jpg?resize=746%2C497&ssl=1)
During his trip to Malaysia, Secretary Blinken promoted the U.S.-Malaysia partnership on addressing shared challenges, including building resilient supply chains, COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
While in Thailand, the U.S. secretary reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and agreed to closely work toward post-pandemic economic recovery, as well as address the climate crisis.
During his visit to the Southeast Asian region, Secretary Blinken also addressed the worsening crisis in Burma and discussed ways to enhance cooperation with regional countries.
According to the DoS statement, throughout his nine days trip, the U.S. secretary held meetings with “government officials, civil society leaders, business stakeholders, and U.S. embassy personnel.”
The U.S. secretary is expected to arrive in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 17, where he will hold a meeting with the USINDOPACOM Commander Admiral John Aquilino and review the U.S. defense posture and strategies in the region.
