US President, Joe Biden, welcomed leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to attend the historic US-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington DC in May 2022. This was the first time the summit was held at the White House. The summit was intended to reaffirm the enduring commitment the U.S. made to Southeast Asia and highlight the importance of US-ASEAN cooperation in ensuring security, prosperity, and respect for human rights. President Biden tweeted, “Tonight, I welcome the leaders of ASEAN to the White House. This is the first time ever. I also reaffirmed the commitment U.S. made to Southeast Asia. We discussed the importance of working together to ensure security, prosperity and respect for human rights for our one billion people.” President Biden would welcome leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to the historic U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit held for the first time at the White House in Washington, D.C. to reaffirm the enduring commitment U.S. made to Southeast Asia, and also underscored the importance of U.S.-ASEAN cooperation in ensuring security, prosperity, and respect for human rights. Over the years, the United States has deepened our partnerships with Southeast Asian nations. Over the years, the United States has continued to deepen its partnership with Southeast Asian countries. Since 2002, the United States has provided the assistance to Southeast Asian allies and partners with more than $12.1 billion in development, economic, health, and security. During the same period, the United States has provided more than $1.4 billion in humanitarian assistance, including life-saving disaster relief assistance, emergency food aid, and help for refugees across Southeast Asia. The Biden-Harris Administration's FY 2023 budget request includes more than $800 million in bilateral assistance for ASEAN partners and more than $25 million in funding to deepen relations with ASEAN and enhance its ability to meet regional pressing challenges. ASEAN is the fourth largest market in the world, and the United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment in ASEAN, with more than $360 billion in bilateral trade in 2020.