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McCollum Guest of Honor at ASEAN 49th Anniversary Event

August 9, 2016

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) was the guest of honor and a featured speaker Monday night at a Washington reception celebrating the 49th anniversary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“In the House of Representatives, I represent tens of thousands of Minnesotans -- Hmong, Lao, Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Thai and Vietnamese Americans -- who trace their ancestry to ASEAN countries,” Congresswoman McCollum said. “My constituents care deeply about the future of Southeast Asia -- and so do I.”

The reception was hosted by His Excellency Mai Sayavongs, the ambassador of the Lao PDR to the United States, and held at the residency of His Excellency Budi Bowoleksono, the ambassador of Indonesia to the United States.

“As the relationships between the United States and ASEAN countries have deepened, I have been particularly pleased that the bonds between our country and Laos, this year’s ASEAN chair, have strengthened as well,” Congresswoman McCollum said. “Together, through dialogue and cooperation, the United States and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations can create a more peaceful and prosperous world for future generations.”