The 24th meeting of ASEAN’s and EU’s foreign ministers, also known as the EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AEMM), took place in Brussels on 2 February. Co-chaired by EU’s High Representative/Vice President Joseph Borrell and Philippines Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, who is also serving as the Country Coordinator for EU-ASEAN Dialogue Relations, the meeting covered a wide range of issues from economic and trade issues like the Global Gateway Initiative and the potential ASEAN-EU FTA, to political discussions on Myanmar, Ukraine and Israel-Gaza.

Notably, on the Global Gateway initiative, HR/VP Borrell reminded the meeting of the EU’s commitment to ASEAN made at the EU-ASEAN Summit in December 2022: 

“… crucial commitments were made by our leaders, including the pledge by the European Union to mobilise €10 Billion for connectivity projects in ASEAN through our Global Gateway Initiatives. Today we are translating commitment to actions by reviewing the implementation of these leaders’ decisions and agreeing on the next steps…”

In the Joint Ministerial Statement [1] issued after the meeting, the EU and ASEAN reaffirmed their commitment at working towards the long-term objective of a future EU-ASEAN-FTA, noting that the EU was ASEAN’s third largest foreign investor and third largest trading partner in 2022. Both sides also recalled the need to find solutions to long-standing market access issues, and welcomed the opportunities to enhance trade and investment opportunities and strengthen connectivity and economic linkages between both regions and boost sustainable development between both sides, for example through the work of the ASEAN-EU Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment (JWG). (Note: this JWG was convened following the suspension of EU-ASEAN FTA negotiations as a way to develop a framework to set out the parameters of the FTA). Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as digital economy, green technologies and green services, sustainable commodity production and consumption, and supply chain resilience, 

The meeting also reaffirmed existing EU-ASEAN cooperation on various initiatives such as cybersecurity cooperation, the EU-ASEAN Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (CATA),  and negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). The DEFA is ASEAN’s long term commitment in embracing digital transformation that encompasses areas such as digital trade, cybersecurity, and e-commerce [2]. 

On palm oil and deforestation, which has been a key sticking point between the EU and some ASEAN member states, both sides noted that a third meeting of the Joint Working Group on Palm Oil and a technical webinar had been convened between the EU and relevant ASEAN member states, to continue promoting mutual understanding on the sustainable production of vegetable oils and addressing the challenges in this sector in a holistic, transparent, and non-discriminatory manner. Both sides also noted that relevant producing countries and the EU have established a Joint Task Force to strengthen the cooperation for the implementation of the EU’s Deforestation Regulation. 

Notably, both sides adopted softer language on areas where there are political divergences, such as on the conflict between Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza and the situation in Myanmar. Nevertheless, points of convergences were reached. In relation to “security and stability in the Black Sea”, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring an uninterrupted flow of essential agricultural goods and inputs, to ensure stability of prices and food security in global markets. Similarly, both sides urged all parties concerned in the Israel-Gaza conflict to work towards a peaceful resolution, with a view to realising the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders in accordance with international law and the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. On Myanmar, both sides adopted and reaffirmed their united position that the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus remains the main reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar. 

What is the EU’s Global Gateway?

The Global Gateway Initiative is part of the EU’s efforts to close the global investment gap. It is part of the new European initiative to promote sustainable development projects around the world. Key areas of focus include the digital sector, transport, energy, health, education, and research. The initiative involves the European Union, EU member states and their development agencies and banks, as well as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Under the initiative, the EU has pledged €10 billion to the ASEAN region, of which €4.2 billion has been mobilised as of 2023. 22 Global Gateway “Team Europe” (i.e. EU and its member states) projects were also presented at the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum in September 2023 [3]. This includes projects such as the construction of a water treatment plant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the development of the port of Lumut in East Malaysia, and the upgrading of critical energy infrastructure in Thailand. As well as infrastructure projects, the Global Gateway Initiative will also focus on education, research, and health. Cambodia is one of many beneficiaries with its One Health, and Partnership Education for Green and Digital Jobs.

Sources:
[1] EU Council (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/69944/st06074-en24.pdf).
[2] ASEAN (https://asean.org/asean-defa-study-projects-digital-economy-leap-to-us2tn-by-2030/).
[3] European Commission (https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/document/download/90a126e5-5f6a-48d2-8aba-43a4b5e25ac6_en?filename=infographics-global-gateway-flagship-projects-2023-2024-eu-asia-pacific-rev_en.pdf)