Illustrative image (Source: aseanbriefing.com) Speaking at the event, ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi saidthat as the world's two most important and successful regionalorganisations, ASEAN and the EU have witnessed significant growth in itsmultifaceted cooperation, as guided by the ASEAN-EU plan of action, spanningacross various areas of non-traditional security, economic and sustainabledevelopment, environmental issue, disasters management and human rights.
“As strategicpartners, we look forward to advancing cooperation with the EU to intensifycooperation to strengthen regional and global peace based on shared values and interests,and restored confidence in the free trade and rule-based multilateralism and towork towards sustainable development for the benefit of our people,” he stated.
“We also look forward to the EU's continued support of ASEANcentrality in ASEAN-led mechanisms as well as the ASEAN outlook for theIndo-Pacific, including deepening cooperation in key areas to enhance mutualtrust, respect and benefits,” he added.
On this occasion, the ASEAN Secretary-General welcomed the European Councilconclusion on the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific at the timerising challenges and tension in the region.
As one of the major foreign investors and trading partners of ASEAN, the EU hasshared interests with ASEAN in safeguarding free and open trade, including atransparent, non-discriminatory and rule-based, multilateral trading system, henoted.
“To this end, we welcome the progress made by the ASEAN-EUFTA joint working group in developing a framework setting out the parameters ofa future ASEAN-EU FTA Agreement which could contribute meaningfully topost-pandemic recovery for our two regions and to create a stronger, moreresilient supply chain and to deliver a new opportunity for our businesses andalso to our people,” he concluded.
For his part, EU Ambassador to ASEAN IgorDriesman said that this publication this year is so special as itis launched just five months since the 23rd ASEAN-EU ministerial meeting inDecember 2020 – an event that opened a new chapter in the two blocs’ longstanding relationship by becoming strategic partners.
In a joint effort with EU member states, Team Europe supportsASEAN pandemic response and recovery efforts with over 800 million EUR, hesaid, adding that it is also the largest contributor to the Covax Facility -the multilateral vehicle to ensure fair and equitable vaccine distribution forall.
He stressed that the EU and ASEAN share the belief that the crisis is anopportunity to build back better and to ensure an inclusive and sustainablerecovery. This year, the EU will kick off support for smart green ASEAN citiesand launch other new programmes enhancing ASEAN capability in taking ambitiousclimate actions and energy commitments and transforming these commitments intogreen recovery actions.
The EU-ASEAN Strategic PartnershipBlue Book 2021 is the sixth edition of this flagship publication since 2016. Thisyear’s 110-page edition features the highlights in the development cooperation relationsof the EU, priorities and progress of projects in multiple fields underway inASEAN member states with the EU support./.
VNA
