Singapore  - Singapore welcomed Thursday the US Senate's confirmation of career foreign service officer Scot Marciel as its first ambassador for ASEAN affairs.

"The US is the first dialogue partner of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to appoint an ambassador" to the 10-nation grouping, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Singapore currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship.

"This reflects the strength of the ASEAN-US relationship and the commitment of the US to continue its engagement with ASEAN," the ministry's statement said.

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Richard Lugar, who initiated the idea in 2006, said the confirmation of the first ambassador was "an extraordinary milestone" affirming the strong commitment of American leaders and people to broaden the relationship with ASEAN.

The confirmation was on April 29.

ASEAN, with a population of 500 million people, includes Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. (dpa)