“I would like to thank the Prime Minister for Colombia’s leadership in the ASEAN presidency”said the US president opening the summit, alongside Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Southeast Asia welcomed a surprise new member from the other side of the world, Colombia, on Saturday, at least for a moment, thanks to a verbal slip from Joe Biden.
“I would like to thank the Prime Minister for the leadership of Colombia in the presidency of ASEANsaid the US President as he opened the Southeast Asia Summit in Phnom Penh alongside Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
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Colombia, a South American country, seems to be on the mind of the American president, because he made the same mistake when he left the White House for his long trip to Asia. He told reporters that he “headed for Colombia» («Columbia» in English Editor’s note), before quickly correcting himself to say «i mean cambodia» («cambodia“).
Joe Biden, who turns 80 this month, is renowned for his many blunders since the beginning of his career in Washington.
His latest, which is easily disputed from a geographical point of view, was nevertheless less embarrassing than that of his vice-president last September in South Korea.
Kamala Harrisduring a visit to the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from South Korea, said that the United States had “an alliance with the Republic of North Korea. And it’s a covenant that’s strong and lasting“.
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