US President Joe Biden mixed up Cambodia and Colombia at a high-profile summit hosted by Cambodia on Saturday.
Cambodia is hosting the international ASEAN summit led by Southeast Asian leaders, but in his opening remarks Biden referred to the country as Colombia.
He said while meeting his counterparts in Phnom Penh: “Now that we’re back together here in Cambodia, I look forward to building even stronger progress than we’ve already made, and I want to thank the Prime Minister of Colombia for his leadership as ASEAN chair and for hosting all of us.”
He was referring to Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, who is currently chairing the 10-member regional bloc.
Responding to a reporter’s question about Russia’s withdrawal, Mr Biden said: “I think the context is that...whether or not they’re pulling back from Fallujah.”
Realising his mistake, he added: “I mean from the...the...Kherson...the city of Kherson...and they’re coming back across the river to the eastern side of the river, the Russian forces.”
Weeks ago Mr Biden made an embarrassing blunder in a speech where he asked if a deceased congresswoman was among the audience.
He made the mistake at a conference on nutrition after seeming to forget that Jackie Walorski, former Republican representative for the state of Indiana, died in a car crash in August.
The president, who turns 80 later this month, said: “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here.”
Mr Biden said this week he intends to run for re-election in 2024, with a final decision likely early next year.
The 79-year-old’s gaffes have been seized upon by political opponents who claim it is evidence he is too old for the job.
Supporters defend Biden, saying the accusation is ageist.
