President Obama called the Sultan of Brunei tonight. The President expressed his appreciation for the Sultan’s strong leadership of the ASEAN and EAS Summits. He expressed his regret that the ongoing government shutdown in the United States will prevent him from attending the Summits. He reaffirmed the importance of the partnership between the United States and Brunei, and his commitment to the U.S.-ASEAN relationship, and said that Secretary Kerry will take his place in Brunei.