(VOVworld) – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday had a working session with representatives of ASEAN countries in Washington DC.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at a working sesion in Washington DC on January 11  (Photo: THX/VNA)

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh attended the event. Tillerson reaffirmed the US’s appreciation of its strategic partnership with ASEAN and pledged to strengthen cooperation for peace, security, and prosperity in the region, and respond to challenges. He said that the US will actively participate in regional forums.

ASEAN ambassadors hailed the strategic partnership with the US and called for further cooperation in all fields in 2017 on the 40^th anniversary of ASEAN-US relations and the 50^th anniversary of ASEAN. Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh announced the priorities of APEC Year 2017, which includes the APEC high-level week in November in Vietnam.