Building bridges for a Eurasian future

Dialogue and cooperation among us are more crucial than ever. The intuition of a great forum for our continents – the Asia-Europe meeting – is even more meaningful today than it was 20 years ago, when the Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM) kicked off.

We share a troubled neighbourhood, the Middle East. We have the same interest in addressing the terrorist threat and stemming the flow of foreign fighters converging on the region from Europe and Asia alike. We are all facing a global rise in human mobility (European public opinion often overlooks the mass movement of migrants and refugees in the other continents, including inside Asia). Some of the underlying causes of these migrations are also issues of common concern: conflicts, economic imbalances, natural disasters linked to climate change.

Europe and Asia need one another. Economically, Asia is one of the fastest growing regions on Earth. To maintain its current pace, improved connections between our continents will be vital. And connectivity is a keyword at the ASEM. This is not only about connecting Asia and Europe by sea, air or rail, but also digitally and through people-to-people contacts – between businesspeople, students, academics and even tourists. An increase of trade and investment in both directions must be a priority for all of us. For this reason, the European Commission has decided to work fulltime on strengthening our existing trade agreements and building new ones.

But the greatest threat to Asia’s development is instability. Last May I attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, one of the main global dialogues on security and defence. I was impressed by the growing demand for cooperation between the European Union and Asian countries on security issues. The EU is not just a big free-trade area, we are also a global security provider. And we are an increasingly relevant partner for peace and security in the whole of “Eurasia”.

In mid-October the EU, in its role as an international witness, signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement in Myanmar. We consistently supported this agreement – politically and financially – responding to a desire expressed by all parties for our involvement. This has paid off. We also remain involved in supporting a comprehensive peace deal in the Philippines.

There is much more we can do together, in the Far East as well as at the crossroads between our regions. Think of Afghanistan. After too many years of conflict the country needs a new covenant within its society, a new covenant among all regional powers, and a new covenant between Kabul and the whole international community. The European Union will co-host an international conference on Afghanistan in Brussels next year, where this threefold covenant may be realised.

The deal we reached last summer on Iran’s nuclear programme shows the way: when global powers from all continents cooperate – Europe, Russia, China and the US – the chances of success escalate.

This is why the potential of the ASEM is so high. At our meeting in Luxembourg today and tomorrow, 51 countries and two regional organisations are represented, accounting for 60 per cent of the world’s population, trade and economic output. This includes 12 G20 members and half of the current UN Security Council. The “retreat session” between ministers will create the perfect setting to compare notes on all the issues of common concern. Our shared peace and prosperity very much depends on cooperation between Europe and Asia. Let us make 

the Luxembourg meeting a 

cornerstone towards a stronger partnership.

 

Federica Mogherini is the European Union’s High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy. She chairs the 12th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which 

begins today.