European Union

President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on January 20 announced the resumption of negotiations for an ambitious, modern, and balanced EU – Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA).

Indonesia has pushed back the deadline for its trade pact with the European Union (EU), with Jakarta eyeing to complete the negotiations in the first half of 2025.

Indonesia's Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming plans to establish an European Union (EU) desk to enhance trade cooperation with the bloc, said Minister Rosan Roeslani, who is also head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

The EU Green Diplomacy Week 2024 opened in Jakarta on October 27 under the theme of “EU – ASEAN Green Transition for Sustainable Planet and More Positive Impact Action”.

Malaysia is the world’s second-largest dumping ground for plastic waste from the European Union (EU), undermining its government’s commitments to prevent the Southeast Asian nation from becoming a dumping ground for detritus from around the world.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 7 kicked off the Indonesia-Europe Business Forum (IEBF) 2024, which brings together over 200 Indonesian entrepreneurs and European partners.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has made a series of recommendations on measures to step up cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) while attending the 24th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in Brussels on February 2.

Thailand is scheduled to host a second round of talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) at the end of January, reported the Bangkok Post.

Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producers, have agreed with the European Union (EU) to promote mutual understanding and tackle concerns over the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and benchmarking via an ad hoc joint task force (JTF) co-chaired by the three parties.

The Philippines and the European Union (EU) on July 31 agreed to revitalise trade and relaunch free trade agreements (FTA) talks.

High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell has emphasised that the EU must be more present and engaged in ASEAN, which plays a crucial role in the Indo-Pacific region.

The 2nd ASEAN-EU Dialogue on Safe and Fair Labour Migration and the launch of awareness-raising campaign videos for the ASEAN Safe and Fair Migration Campaign, held in the Philippines on July 4-7, brought together over 70 policymakers, practitioners, and representatives of civil society and international organisations.

Vietnam is willing to share its experience as well as work closely with other ASEAN member countries to continue promoting the ASEAN-EU strategic partnership, a Vietnamese diplomat has said.

The EU on March 15 announced the relaunch of negotiations for a modern and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) with sustainability at its core, especially in the green technology field.

Strengthening the connectivity between the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and deepening the bilateral economic ties will be one of the priorities of the 27-member union this year, according to EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans.

Thailand and the EU have agreed to pursue free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in the first quarter this year, after nearly a decade of stagnation.

Italian and Belgian news websites La Città Futura and Brussels Times have run stories highlighting the important role of Vietnam as a bridge for the strategic partnership between European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Vietnam-EU relations and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s trip to the EU from December 13-15 has been in the limelight of the Belgian media in recent days.

The ASEAN-EU Summit will provide a political framework for the longstanding relationship between the two sides, said Pierre Gréga, Director of the Development, Rehabilitation, Integration and Security (DRIS) centre.

A summit commemorating 45 years of diplomatic relations between ASEAN and the EU is expected to usher in an era of better economic ties, reported German newswire DW.