Policy Briefs – Page 4

EU Security in Southeast Asia: Insights into the 2023 Shangri-La Dialogue

2-4 June 2023 saw the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore host its nineteenth Shangri-La Dialogue, having been held annually since 2002, besides its two-year pause due to the pandemic (2020 and 2021). The Dialogue is an inter-governmental security conference that has manifested to become one of the most important independent forums for the exchange of views through talks and bi-lateral agreements by international policy decision-makers.

Towards the Middle Income Status in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is on track to graduate from the United Nations’ least developed country (LDC) status. The country’s remarkable growth is worthy of a closer analysis regarding the drivers and rationale behind national policies and attracting foreign investments.

Thailand’s Recent Election Results: A “Thai-breaker” or “Thai-Maker” for its Future Relationship with the EU?

On 14 May 2023, Thailand saw almost 40 million people head to the polls to vote in its first national election post-COVID, the largest turnout of any Thai election thus far. This election can be considered as one of the most significant political events in Thailand since the pro-democracy movement of the mid-1970s. Over 70 parties competed within the election, with over half of the votes going to two opposition parties: Move Forward and Pheu Thai. However, Thailand has found itself in a political stalemate as it still awaits the final outcome of the May election.

The Missing Piece of the EU-ROK Digital Partnership: Development Cooperation in ASEAN

Signed in November 2022, the EU-ROK Digital Partnership offers itself as an unprecedented opportunity for both parties to develop their cooperation in the digital realm. Yet for all it does succeed in covering, the agreement remains silent on development cooperation in the area of digital capacity building in third countries.

EU Energy Security and Kazakhstan’s Position on the Middle Corridor

Before the 24th of February 2022, freight through the New Eurasian Land Bridge (NELB) or so-called ‘Northern Corridor’ —with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine as its most critical components— showed great promise. However, the war in Ukraine and the related Western sanctions against Russia and Belarus have created significant shifts in global geo-economics and supply chains. This has heavily affected various sectors such as global energy markets, transportation, and logistics, alongside infrastructural connectivity initiatives.

Thailand: Role Model and Bridge Builder for EU-ASEAN Cooperation in Combatting IUU Fishing

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the most serious threats to marine ecosystems, undermining the national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks. With an estimated global value of IUU fishing between 10-20 billion EUR per year, one in every five fish is illegally caught from IUU fishing activities annually. Moreover, IUU fishing also comes with social and economic implications since it undermines the fairness of responsible fishermen and gives rise to forced labour and human trafficking.

The Growing EU Engagement in Central Asia: Challenging the Russian Predominance in its Traditional Backyard

On 18 November 2022, Samarkand hosted the “EU-Central Asia Connectivity Conference: Global Gateway”. Preceded by the late October 2022 visit to Astana by European Council President Charles Michel, the summit confirmed a new and more vigorous European push towards the Central Asian region, historically located in the backyard of the Russian Federation.

Strengthening the EU-Vietnam Partnership: Financing a Green and Just Energy Transition

Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, expected to become one of the world’s top 20 leading countries by 2050. The country’s export-oriented economy and efforts to transform Vietnam into a manufacturing hub, make it well-placed to keep on attracting trade and investment from external partners from within and outside the region. Yet, despite its climate ambitions and corresponding engagements, Vietnam is also one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of facing high risk disaster levels. The question is how to finance Vietnam’s green and just energy transition.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s 22nd Annual Summit: A Timely Reminder of the Importance of Central Asia’s Role in Geopolitics

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its 22nd annual summit on 15-16 September 2022 in Uzbekistan’s historical city of Samarkand. The summit gathered its member’s leaders in person for the first time since 2019. In light of the current global political and economic uncertainties, the gathering attracted worldwide attention while hitting the international headlines.