Ambassador Hosted a Dinner to Honor Mr. Tony Podesta and Welcome the Ambassador of Cambodia to the United States

Nothing beats good food and great conversation with fabulous company. On July 17, 2015, Ambassador Pisan Manawapat hosted a dinner in honor of Mr. Tony Podesta, the founder and Chairman of the Podesta group and one of the most prominent political strategists in Washington, at his residence. The Ambassador also took this opportunity to welcome H.E. Chum Bun Rong, the Ambassador of Cambodia to the United States, who has recently assumed his post in Washington.

Also joining the dinner were Washington’s leading experts on Asia: Professor William Wise, Associate Director of the Southeast Asia Studies Program at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University; Mr. Murray Hiebert, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Ms. Terri Langston, Senior Editor at The Globalist, a daily online magazine on the politics and global affairs,  and Ms. Olivia Enos, Research Assistant at the Heritage Foundation.

The conversations over the dinner were lively, insightful and thought provoking. Everyone agreed that Southeast Asia will become more and more important to the U.S, but the challenge is how to raise greater awareness among the American public on the issue. This is where institutions such as SAIS, CSIS and the Heritage Foundation can play a significant role.

Another issue that was the key aspect of the discussion was the upcoming 2016 Presidential Election. As one of the Democratic Party’s top political strategists, Mr. Podesta shared his insights on the 2016 Presidential campaign and highlighted some of the challenges and opportunities facing presidential candidates. The role played by Asian-American voters in the next election and the impact of the election outcome on the future of American foreign policy were also discussed.