US Leaders Initiative Targets Two-Thirds of ASEAN Population Under Age 35

Some 350 young leaders from ten nations comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heard an appeal by US President Barack Obama to boost rural economic development, the White House announced in a press release on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Obama addressed the three-day conference of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) during a visit to Laos this week, the release explained.

"The President discussed the important role that their generation will play in shaping a sustainable and prosperous ASEAN into the future, and how they can work together and with the United States on policy areas of mutual interest," the stated.

The areas of mutual interest include entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, environmental protection, education and civic engagement, according to the release.

Obama launched the YSEALI program in 2013 to target 65 percent of the region’s population that is under 35 years of age.

In the next 12 months, YSEALI will host a series of regional workshops in Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines that will focus on urban planning, sustainable development and management of private non-profit organizations, the release added.