US cancelled summit with ASEAN leaders: Cambodia PM

Phnom Penh: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday that the US has cancelled a summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which scheduled to be held on March 14 in Las Vegas.

Speaking at a university graduation ceremony here, Hun Sen said coronavirus outbreak was perhaps the main reason that US President Donald Trump decided to cancel the summit, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I support President Trump's decision taking this time, because both the US and ASEAN are busy with trying to control the situation relating to this virus," he said.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Hun Sen called on health authorities in Cambodia to continue strengthening thermal scanning at all airports, ports and border checkpoints to prevent the virus from spreading to the country.

The Prime Minister said that so far, there were no new confirmed case of the virus in the country.

Cambodia confirmed the first and only case of the COVID-19 on January 27.

The victim was discharged from the hospital on February 10 after fully recovering from the disease.