By Leila Fernández-Stembridge, Head of Division for Southeast Asia, European External Action Service
The EU and ASEAN may be “strategic partners” now, but before we reached that level, we referred to each other as “natural partners”. This term is still apt. Our impetus to work together stems naturally from our shared history: we both join up small and mid-size states into a regional cohesive whole which is stronger than the sum of its parts.
Europe and Southeast Asia are both mosaics, a conglomeration of colours, cultures and values. We are both, in mutually reinforcing ways, searching for peace, prosperity, balance and security.
Unfortunately, both regions are also learning to ‘expect the unexpected’ in a world increasingly shaped by rivalry between two giants, where we hold a shared desire for strategic autonomy.
Our strengths are clear: ASEAN is the fastest growing economic region in the world, while the EU is the world’s largest single market.
We are already each other’s third largest trade partners, and growth continues to be facilitated by the implementation of the two free trade agreements concluded with Singapore and Vietnam.
We are advancing our bilateral FTA negotiations with Indonesia and Thailand and – in March – we agreed to relaunch free trade talks with the Philippines.
We remain open to resuming negotiations with Malaysia when conditions are right.
The rules behind these trade instruments are built on trust, which needs to be maintained. The role of the European External Action Service is to secure that trust and to ensure that we do not gloss over or ignore any challenges.
Together with colleagues from the Commission and the Council, we are committed to working together with ASEAN members to see the bigger picture. We have a duty to understand and to listen to each other.
We acknowledge that issues linked to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the lack of compatible ambitions for a region-to-region free trade agreement can encumber the strengthening of our political and trading links, and are actively working on finding cooperative solutions.
On EUDR, we have set up a Joint Task Force to build common understanding on the implementation of the regulation and its core aspects.
On region-to-region trade, our Trade Ministers have agreed that we should focus our efforts in the short to medium term on sectoral cooperation in areas like the digital economy; green technologies and services; and resilient supply chains. An EU-ASEAN Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment have met twice to develop potential new trade initiatives.
Most recently, the EU has proposed to use the momentum of the ongoing intra-ASEAN Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations to explore the potential of future EU-ASEAN cooperation in the field of digital trade.
Of course, trade is not the only area where we actively seek to build trust. Our long-term engagement in the ASEAN Regional Forum, focused on security, is another important instrument of confidence-building.
The EU is not a hard security provider in the ASEAN region. Instead, we view ourselves as a “smart enabler”, teaching and sharing lessons learned and skills to enable regional partners to work towards peace, security and prosperity.
Presence and participation is a further key factor in developing trust. Put simply: showing up is important. This is why HRVP Borrell has just travelled to Vientiane, Laos (26-27 July 2024) for the EU-ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference and the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting to meet in person with ASEAN Ministers to review our implementation of decisions made at the 2022 Commemorative Summit and the 2024 EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.
I have held my new hat as the Southeast Asia Head of Division for less than a year and will continue working tirelessly to ensure Southeast Asia remains high on the EU’s political radar, pressing for high-level engagement and encouraging travel in the region by the HRVP, Commissioners and EU Member State Ministers.
