EU to scale up its partnership with Asean
The European Union has proposed to take its relations with Asean to the next level, in support to the region's integration.
Under "the EU and Asean: a partnership with a strategic purpose" joint communication, the EU vows to provide a more coherent framework for sectoral cooperation and by ensuring a sharper political focus.
"The partnership between the EU and Asean is crucial and we are determined to build on it and strengthen our political and economic cooperation," said Federica Mogherini, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission.
"From trade to security, from climate change to the rule of law, we have a deep cooperation, and as the EU we are supporting Asean integration. Deepening and broadening our relations with Asean is key for the EU’s Asia strategy."
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission adopted the joint communication on Tuesday.
The EU will more than double its financial support for Asean integration, which comes on top of the 2 billion euros (Bt74.5 billion) for Asean member states. Financial support of 170 million euros will cover the projects from 2014-2020, compared with 70 million euros from 2007-2013.
It also aims for a region-to-region free-trade agreement building on bilateral agreements. For greater connectivity, lessons and expertise will be shared to support Asean efforts, including on the single market and through negotiating a civil-aviation agreement.
It will also strengthen collaboration on climate change and initiating a new, dedicated EU-Asean policy dialogue on environment and sustainable development.
An extensive package of new initiatives will be implemented in the area of non-traditional security (maritime security, disaster management and crisis response, transnational crime, training courses on preventive diplomacy, crisis management, mediation, the rule of law and election observation).
The two regions established relations in 1972. The EU is now Asean’s second-largest trading partner.
Trade between the two regions was valued at 238 billion euros in 2013. Foreign direct investment from the EU is the biggest in Asean, amounting to 22 per cent of the total in 2013.
