
UPCOMING Briefing Seminar: Celebrating 35 Years of EIAS and EU-Asia Relations – What is Next? on 18 February 2025
INVITATION
IN-PERSON EVENT
CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF EIAS
BRIEFING SEMINAR: 35 YEARS OF EIAS AND EU-ASIA RELATIONS
What is Next?
Date: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Time: 16:00 – 18:00 CET
Venue: EIAS, Rue de la Loi 26, B-1040 Brussels
*The Event will be followed by a networking reception
To celebrate its 35th Anniversary, the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) has the pleasure of inviting you to its Briefing Seminar on “35 Years of EIAS and EU-Asia Relations – What is Next?”, which will be held on 18 February 2025 from 16:00 to 18:00 at the European Institute for Asian Studies, Rue de la Loi 26, 10th floor, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium. The event will be followed by a networking reception to commemorate this milestone.
Over the past 35 years, Europe and the world have gone through major changes. When EIAS was established in 1989, at the brink of a new era and the end of the Cold War, Europe’s relations with Asia were part of a very different context compared to the world we know today. EU-Asia relations have most certainly undergone significant changes over the past 35 years. Although EIAS started off with a particular focus on South and Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Central Asia have also earned their place around the discussion table, be it as cooperation, dialogue or trading partners, key suppliers (e.g. critical raw materials), transportation or innovation hubs, competitors or as seekers of EU support in a variety of domains.
The EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy has emanated as the Union’s flagship programme for engagement with the region, highlighting key priorities and bringing together previously existing frameworks under one and the same umbrella, while strengthening the EU’s portfolio and presence in the region. While critics call on its lack of concrete action and depth, the EU’s relation with the Indo-Pacific remains work in progress and together with the EU’s Global Gateway, the strategy serves as a silver lining for Europe’s engagement with the region.
Yet, though Asia and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole have left their mark on the EU’s radar and are taking centre stage in global politics, the region is also facing a number of key challenges. While economic opportunities are still abundantly present, security concerns and climate or development related issues emerge on a regular basis. The vast variety and disparities between the different countries, actors and regions in Asia and the Indo-Pacific often pose a challenge to the EU, especially in view of intra-regional competition, discords and crises. However, for the EU it will be essential to reach internal unity, especially in an ever more unpredictable and volatile geopolitical international environment. With Donald Trump returning to the White House, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as a growing number of crises around the world, the need for peace and (economic) stability will only be growing. The EU’s new Commission, Parliament and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy have a renewed mandate in fostering relations with Asia and the countries in the Indo-Pacific. What can we expect to change or remain the same during their mandate and what direction will EU-Asia relations be headed throughout the next couple of years? Where can they expect to be in 35 years from now?
Programme
15:30 – 16:00 Registration and Welcome Refreshments
16:00 – 16:10 Welcoming Remarks
- Lin Goethals, Director, EIAS
16:10 – 16:20 Opening Address
- Dick Gupwell, Chairman, EIAS
16:20 – 18:00 Panel Discussion followed by a Q&A Session
Panelists:
- Jaime Victor Ledda, Ambassador, Embassy of the Philippines, Brussels
- Chandana Weerasana, Ambassador, Embassy of Sri Lanka to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union
- Marco Ferri, Senior Expert, China, Hong Kong, Macao Taiwan and Mongolia Division, Asia and the Pacific Managing Directorate, European External Action Service
- Eddy Laurijssen, Vice-Chairman, EIAS
Moderator: Xavier Nuttin, Senior Associate and Member of the Advisory Board, European Institute for Asian Studies
18:00 – 19:30 Networking Reception
Photo credits: Pixabay