Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Speakes on the President's Trip to Indonesia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea

The President will travel to the Asia-Pacific area in early November in response to invitations from Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. The dates for each stop will be announced later.

The President wants to reaffirm the importance we attach to the Asia-Pacific region. The United States is a Pacific nation, and our interests in this part of the world have grown rapidly over the last decade. In the face of common challenges, our political and security arrangements in the area have taken on increased importance. The nations of Asia and the Pacific, particularly those which he will be visiting, have a very large role in the increasingly interdependent international economic system. As a result, we share a wide and growing range of interests with these countries.