Past Event – EU-ASEAN Relations at 45: A New Momentum

EIAS-European Parliament in ASEAN Seminar in collaboration with the ASEAN Brussels Committee (ABC) on EU-ASEAN Relations after the December 2022 Commemorative Summit

Date: 21 March 2023
Venue: EIAS – Rue de la Loi 26, 10th Floor, B-1040 Brussels
Time: 14:30 – 18:00

The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are celebrating 45 years of dialogue relations. On 14 December 2022 a ‘Commemorative Summit’ was held in Brussels to mark this milestone. This first-ever EU-ASEAN Summit strengthened their strategic partnership and enhanced cooperation between the two regions in a wide array of concrete fields. Following the Summit both ASEAN and the EU are committed to step up their engagement, while voices are being raised to turn this summit into a regular forum for dialogue between the two blocs. The EU and ASEAN share common concerns and challenges in view of climate change, peace and security, business and trade, as well as connectivity and the digital transition, which will require joint action and strong collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.

This seminar gathered key stakeholders and experts to assess where EU-ASEAN relations stand at 45, what challenges lie ahead and how the Plan of Action for the Implementation of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership (2023-2027) can be successfully executed. Particular focus was given to what lies ahead for their cooperation in 2023, under the Indonesian ASEAN Presidency. In addition, what political and economic actions can ASEAN and the EU put forward to secure a stable, safe, and sustainable environment for all and how can both partners extend their joint cooperation and engagement in the region for the next 45 years. 

Programme

14:00-14:30 Registration

14:30-14:45 Opening and Keynote Address

Welcome Address: Lin Goethals, EIAS Director
Opening Address: Ambassador Andri Hadi, ASEAN Brussels Committee (ABC) Chair
Keynote Address: Heidi Hautala, Vice-President of the European Parliament

14:45-16:00 Panel 1: Political Dynamics of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership

Delving into the specific political dynamics of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, EU-ASEAN engagement was assessed, including ASEAN Centrality, what role the EU can and should play in the region and how Defence and Security are taking up a more prominent place in EU-ASEAN relations. How did the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit advance their cooperation and which follow-up actions are currently on the table to push the Strategic Partnership towards the next level?

Chair:  Xavier Nuttin, EIAS Senior Associate and Member of the Advisory Board

Ambassador Lim Hong Huai, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore in Brussels
Barbara Plinkert, Head of Division for Southeast Asia, European External Action Service
David Camroux, Honorary Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor, Sciences Po Paris and Member of the EIAS Advisory Board

16:00-16:15 Coffee Break

16:15-17:30 Panel 2: Business as Usual? – Trade as a key driver of EU-ASEAN Cooperation

Trade and investments remain one of the main driving forces of EU-ASEAN relations. What are the key elements of their inter-bloc economic cooperation? In what ways can existing free trade agreements be utilised to their full potential and those currently under negotiation be accelerated? Moreover, how can the EU and ASEAN ensure the sustainability of their supply chains and trade relations? 

Chair: Antoine Ripoll, Director, European Parliament in ASEAN

Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union
Dora Correia, Director for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission
Jan Zahradil, Member of the European Parliament 
Noel Clehane, EU-ASEAN Business Council, Brussels

17:30-17:40 Closing Remarks:

Ambassador Jaime Victor B. Ledda, Country Coordinator for ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations
Xavier Nuttin, EIAS Senior Associate and Member of the Advisory Board

17:40 Networking Reception with Southeast Asian Delicacies

Photo credits: EEAS