Washington, DC - Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Ziad Haider will visit Vientiane, Laos from August 2-5 and join Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Barbara Weisel and U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Nina Hachigian for the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting.
Special Representative Haider will discuss progress on U.S.-ASEAN Connect, which President Obama announced during the U.S.-ASEAN Sunnylands Summit in February as the new strategic framework for economic engagement in the ASEAN region. Special Representative Haider will highlight the efforts the U.S. government has already taken under U.S.-ASEAN Connect and preview the official launch for Connect, which will take place in September during the President’s historic visit to Laos for the U.S-ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit.
Special Representative Haider will meet with representatives from the American Chamber of Commerce and U.S.-ASEAN Business Council to rally private sector support for programs and events to be launched in September under U.S.-ASEAN Connect’s four pillars: business, energy, innovation, and policy. He will also use this opportunity to discuss bilateral commercial and trade issues with senior Lao officials.
Finally, Special Representative Haider will follow up on the momentum from the June 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Silicon Valley and meet with entrepreneurs to highlight the American brand of innovation while promoting shared prosperity and inclusive growth.