US postpones summit with ASEAN leaders amid coronavirus fears: Report
Donald Trump
The United States has decided to postpone a meeting with leaders of Southeast Asian countries it had planned to host on March 14 due to worries about the coronavirus outbreak, two USofficials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
USPresident Donald Trump had invited leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to meet in Las Vegas after he did not attend a summit with the group in Bangkok in November.
Also read: U.N. chief recommends ministers, diplomats skip travelling to meeting due to coronavirus risks
“As the international community works together to defeat the novel coronavirus, the United States, in consultation with ASEAN partners, has made the difficult decision to postpone the ASEAN leaders meeting,” one of the sources, a senior administration official, told Reuters.
The official added that the United States values its relationships with ASEAN member nations and looks forward to future meetings.
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The USState Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision comes amid growing fears that the virus will spread in the United States as countries report new infections, companies announce curbs on employees’ travel and global stock markets continue to plummet.
USSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday preparations for the meeting were going ahead in spite of the coronavirus outbreak.