Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I am honored to congratulate the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Secretariat on the organization’s 51st anniversary on August 8th. For over 40 years, U.S.-ASEAN engagement has helped foster a stable, prosperous, and peaceful Southeast Asia. I welcome ASEAN’s role as a centerpiece of the Indo-Pacific’s regional architecture and its contributions to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

"The United States is proud to support collaborative programs with ASEAN to advance the rules-based order and address shared concerns over the region’s most pressing challenges, including maritime security, terrorism, cybersecurity, and other transnational issues. Our U.S.-ASEAN Connect framework is a testament to our commitment to ASEAN’s economic integration and our cooperation in business, energy, and innovation remains expansive and mutually beneficial. Our ongoing support for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and other cultural, academic, and professional exchanges demonstrates the importance of building both local capacity and dynamic, meaningful people-to-people ties.

"I congratulate ASEAN once again on its 51st anniversary and anticipate many more years of friendship and collaboration with ASEAN and the peoples of Southeast Asia."