May 4, 2005

U.S. Ambassadors Tour Kicks Off With Town Hall Meeting On May 16

By Paula Cichocka

The Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UCSD, along with San Diego’s World Affairs Council and World Trade Center, and the University of San Diego and San Diego State University, are hosting a presentation in San Diego by five U.S. Ambassadors stationed in Asia. American ambassadors to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are making a tour across the country, with San Diego as their first stop, for a town hall meeting on Monday, May 16, 2005. The event will be held in the Robinson Auditorium on the UCSD campus, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. As representatives from the United States to Southeast Asia, the visiting ambassadors cover one of the fastest growing regions in the world, strategically positioned to play a leading role in the Pacific Rim century.

The ambassadors’ tour is an annual event that is considered to be an effective effort for improving U.S.-Southeast Asian relations, and over the years, the event has brought together thousands of leaders, academics, analysts and business executives.

In a town hall meeting format, the ambassadors will present their views on U.S.-Southeast Asian relations and the state of affairs in Southeast Asia. The ambassadors include the Honorable Lynn Pascoe, Ambassador to Indonesia; the Honorable Christopher La Fleur, Ambassador to Malaysia; the Honorable Frank L. Lavin, Ambassador to Singapore; the Honorable Ralph L. (Skip) Boyce, Ambassador to Thailand; and the Honorable Michael Marine, Ambassador to Vietnam.

Media Contact: Paula Cichocka, (858) 534-1465