From July 8-12, the US-ASEAN Business Council led Ambassadors and Chargés d'affaires representing eight ASEAN nations on the annual ASEAN Ambassadors' Tour to Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This year’s tour itinerary centered around our host companies: Brown-Forman, GE Aerospace, P&G, TE Connectivity, and UPS. The delegation met with executives across various industries who have vested interests in ASEAN. Additionally, the Council led its delegation on a series of political, economic and cultural meetings that broadened our knowledge of American enterprise, as well as its geopolitical trajectory.
In Louisville, Kentucky, the delegation commenced the first leg of its tour on July 8. During the first portion of the visit, the delegation met with the University of Louisville leadership, toured UPS’ first-Worldport facility, toured the Churchill Downs, and had a private tour and bourbon tasting, courtesy of Council member, Brown-Forman. The delegation also met with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and key members of his leadership team. On July 9, the Council concluded its visit to Louisville with a tour of the Muhammad Ali Center and business forum facilitated by the World Trade Center of Kentucky (WTC-KY).
In Cincinnati, Ohio, the agenda started off on July 9 with an engaging tour and roundtable discussion at Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) Global Headquarters. The following morning, the delegation was invited to City Hall to meet with Cincinnati’s Mayor, Aftab Pureval, the first Asian American to hold the position. The ASEAN Ambassadors’ Tour wrapped its visit to Cincinnati with an informative tour and lively discussion at GE Aerospace Headquarters.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the final leg of the tour commenced on July 11. The Philadelphia leg started with a tour and panel discussion facilitated by the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTC-GP) at the Union League of Philadelphia. This was followed by a tour and discussion with executives from TE Connectivity at their regional headquarters, just outside the city. The day concluded with a tour of Discovery Labs and a series of local business presentations at Life Sciences PA. The following and final day on July 12, the Ambassadors were hosted by WTC-GP at their offices for a catered presentation and roundtable with local political figures.
“No matter what, the U.S. private sector has been, is, and will continue to stay in ASEAN,” said Ambassador Ted Osius, President & CEO of USABC. “Despite the ups and downs in domestic politics and impact of global event, our members show consistent commitment to and belief in the growth potential of ASEAN’s economy and its people.”, he added.
This delegation was represented by:
H.E. Dato Paduka Haji Serbini bin Haji Ali, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam
H.E. Keo Chhea, Ambassador of Cambodia
H.E. Sisavath Inphachanh, Ambassador of Laos
H.E. Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of Malaysia
H.E. Lui Tuck Yew, Ambassador of Singapore
H.E. Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador of Thailand
H.E. Nguyen Quoc Dzung, Ambassador of Vietnam
Mr. Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, Chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of Indonesia
Ambassador Ted Osius, President & CEO of USABC
The 2024 ASEAN Ambassadors’ Tour was generously supported by Brown-Forman, GE Aerospace, P&G, TE Connectivity, and UPS.
