PARTNER with ASEAN Act

To provide for the treatment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an international organization for purposes of the International Organizations Immunities Act, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations with ASEAN Act PARTNER with ASEAN Act 2. Statement of policy on deepening cooperation with ASEAN It is the policy of the United States— (1) to reaffirm the United States-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2022 following 45 years of Dialogue Partnership; (2) to enhance United States-ASEAN cooperation in support of an open, transparent, resilient, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture in the Indo-Pacific; (3) to support regular, high-level United States official engagement with ASEAN, including the participation in the annual ASEAN Summit held each year; (4) to enhance cooperation with ASEAN member states as well as with the institution of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat, including through the United States Mission to ASEAN, led by the United States Ambassador to ASEAN; and (5) to welcome the decision in-principle by ASEAN to admit Timor-Leste to be ASEAN’s 11th member state and to encourage United States support to Timor-Leste in its capacity as an official ASEAN observer. 3. Sense of Congress on the establishment of an ASEAN delegation to the United States It is the sense of Congress that it is in the United States interest to encourage the establishment, at the earliest opportunity, of an ASEAN delegation to the United States, to enhance cooperation between ASEAN and the United States at all levels. 4. Extension of diplomatic immunities to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations The provisions of the International Organizations Immunities Act ( 22 U.S.C. 288 et seq. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations with ASEAN Act PARTNER with ASEAN Act 2. Statement of policy on deepening cooperation with ASEAN It is the policy of the United States— (1) to reaffirm the United States-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2022 following 45 years of Dialogue Partnership; (2) to enhance United States-ASEAN cooperation in support of an open, transparent, resilient, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture in the Indo-Pacific; (3) to support regular, high-level United States official engagement with ASEAN, including the participation in the annual ASEAN Summit held each year; (4) to enhance cooperation with ASEAN member states, as appropriate, as well as with the institution of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat, including through the United States Mission to ASEAN, led by the United States Ambassador to ASEAN; and (5) to welcome the decision in-principle by ASEAN to admit Timor-Leste to be ASEAN’s 11th member state and to encourage United States support to Timor-Leste in its capacity as an official ASEAN observer. 3. Sense of Congress on the establishment of an ASEAN delegation to the United States It is the sense of Congress that— (1) it is in the United States interest to encourage the establishment, at the earliest opportunity, of an ASEAN delegation to the United States, to enhance cooperation between ASEAN and the United States at all levels; and (2) the establishment of an ASEAN center in the United States would support United States economic and cultural engagement with Southeast Asia. 4. Extension of diplomatic immunities to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations The provisions of the International Organizations Immunities Act ( 22 U.S.C. 288 et seq. May 4, 2023 Reported with an amendment

Summary: Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations with ASEAN Act or the PARTNER with ASEAN Act This bill establishes that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) shall be covered by the International Organizations Immunities Act, which provides immunities and privileges to certain international organizations, such as immunity from certain lawsuits and exemption from property taxes. (ASEAN is Southeast Asia's primary multilateral organization. It has 10 member nations, including Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam.)