美国老挝弥合历史创伤开启新的关系

The White House said Tuesday the United States and Laos have opened a new era in their relations based on mutual respect and "a shared desire to heal the wounds of the past."

An announcement of a new partnership on issues of the economy, technology, education, security, the environment and human rights followed a meeting between Presidents Barack Obama and Bounnhang Vorachit in Vientiane.

Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos, and announced Tuesday a three-year, $90 million contribution to Laos for a national survey of unexploded ordnance and efforts to clear the bombs dropped by U.S. forces in the 1960s and 1970s. About one-third of the 2.2 million bombs dropped on Laos remain undenotated and the lingering threat has slowed development in the country.

The White House said Obama expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of Laos in working to account for U.S. personnel who went missing during the war.

Laos, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has been criticized for its human rights record. Obama and Vorachit noted in their meeting Tuesday "the benefits of a candid and open dialogue" to narrow differences on rights.

Obama is seeking to reassure nations in Southeast Asia that the U.S. is firmly committed to its rebalance to the region. He will seek to further deepen ties and boost America\'s influence in the region as he attends the ASEAN summit and the East Asia summit this week.

奥巴马总统和本扬·沃拉吉总统在万象举行会晤后，宣布就经济、技术、教育、安全、环境和人权等问题进行新的合作。

奥巴马是第一位访问老挝的美国在任总统。他星期二宣布，三年内向老挝资助9千万美元，帮助老挝对未爆炸的武器进行全国勘察，并清除六，七十年代美军投下的炸弹。在向老挝投掷的220万枚炸弹中，大约三分之一未爆炸，这个遗留的威胁阻碍了老挝的发展。

白宫说，奥巴马对老挝在寻找战争期间失踪的美军人员方面所给予的合作表示感谢。

老挝目前是东南亚国家联盟的轮值主席国，它的人权记录一直受到外界批评。奥巴马和本扬·沃拉吉在星期二的会谈中指出，通过“坦率和公开对话”来缩小人权问题的分歧有诸多益处。

美国总统奥巴马试图让东南亚国家放心，美国坚守亚洲再平衡的承诺。奥巴马本周将出席东盟峰会和东亚峰会，谋求进一步加深美国与东南亚地区的关系，并扩大美国的影响。