Jakarta, 11 June 2026 — The newly appointed Ambassador of the United States of America to ASEAN, His Excellency Kevin Kim, formally presented his Letter of Credence to Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta. The ceremony marks the official commencement of Ambassador Kim's tenure as the fifth U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN since the mission was established.
During the credentialing ceremony, Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn warmly welcomed Ambassador Kim and congratulated him on assuming his new role. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the critical importance of the ASEAN-United States Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in advancing peace, stability, and shared prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region. He highlighted the United States' longstanding and active engagement with ASEAN, expressing appreciation for Washington's unwavering support for ASEAN Centrality and the broader ASEAN Community-building agenda.
Secretary-General Dr. Kao underscored the significance of ASEAN-led regional mechanisms — including the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) — in fostering constructive dialogue, building mutual trust, and promoting cooperation on regional and global issues of common concern. He noted that the United States has been a steadfast partner and an active participant in these important platforms for regional security and diplomacy.
Ambassador Kevin Kim, in his remarks, reaffirmed the United States' strong and continued support for ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture. He expressed readiness to deepen cooperation in line with the ASEAN-United States Leaders' Joint Vision Statement adopted in 2022, which aims to promote a stronger, safer, and more prosperous partnership between ASEAN and America. The Ambassador emphasized that the United States is a proud Pacific nation and highlighted the vast opportunities for an expanded partnership that would benefit the combined one billion people across ASEAN and the United States.
Ambassador Kim also welcomed the upcoming 50th anniversary of ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations in 2027, describing it as a significant milestone that reflects the enduring friendship and mutual commitment between the two sides. The United States first became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1977 and elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022, the highest level of bilateral engagement under the ASEAN framework.
Reflecting Washington's longstanding commitment to Southeast Asia, the United States appointed its first dedicated Ambassador to ASEAN in 2008 and opened its Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2010. Ambassador Kevin Kim now serves as the fifth U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN, taking on the role at a critical juncture for regional geopolitics and economic cooperation.
The credentialing ceremony and the subsequent discussions between Secretary-General Dr. Kao and Ambassador Kim signal continued momentum in ASEAN-U.S. relations, with both sides expressing optimism about deepening cooperation on trade, digital transformation, climate action, maritime security, and people-to-people exchanges in the years ahead.
Sources: [asean.org]
