West Asia or the Middle East routinely makes headlines due to a complicated array of security challenges. However, ASPI doesn’t view this or any region through a singular lens. The West Asian region has a vibrant history and influential political and economic ties across the Asia-Pacific, including with the United States. West Asia remains a vital source of energy and remittances for many countries across Asia, and its importance has grown as the challenges it faces increasingly involve other parts of the world. Through private roundtables, public discussions, policymaker briefings, and expert commentary, ASPI facilitates regional cooperation as well as greater dialogue and understanding between Middle Eastern countries and the Asia-Pacific region, including the United States.