Biden To Host U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit In May

President Joe Biden will host the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington, DC on May 12 and 13 for a U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit.

This is the second Special Summit since 2016 and the first direct summit for the leaders since 2017.

ASEAN Leaders and President Joe Biden will meet to discuss ways and means to intensify cooperation in various areas, including COVID-19 response and global health security, climate change, sustainable development, maritime cooperation, human capital development, education and people-to-people ties, as well as connectivity and economic engagement.

“They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern,” reads an ASEAN press release.

The Special Summit will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to ASEAN, recognizing its central role in delivering sustainable solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges, and commemorate 45 years of U.S.-ASEAN relations, the White House said in a statement.

The Special Summit will build on the October 2021 U.S.-ASEAN Summit, where Biden announced $102 million in new initiatives to expand U.S. engagement with ASEAN on COVID-19 recovery and health security, fighting the climate crisis, stimulating broad-based economic growth, promoting gender equality, and deepening people-to-people ties.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki said it is a top priority for the Biden Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia. “Our shared aspirations for the region will continue to underpin our common commitment to advance an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, secure, connected, and resilient,” she added.

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