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.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (Photo: AFP)
Jakarta (VNA) – High🥂Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and SecurityPolicy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell hasemphasised that the EU must be more present and engaged inASEAN, which plays a crucial role in the Indo-Pacific region.
"Working with ASEAN and deepening our strategic partnership is key to do so," he said in a statement on July 17.
The EU andASEAN are the two most advanced regional integration organisations in the world. They understand each other at many levels, even if some of the ASEAN members are not like our multi-party democracies. Both organisations stand together in promoting effective multilateralism, free trade, the green and digital transition and connectivity
He said his presence in Jakarta on behalf of the EU at the ASEAN-EU Post Ministerial Meeting (PMC) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) provided an opportunity to strengthen our bonds, to profile the EU as a trusted partner, to discuss regional and global developments, and to pursue our political and economic interests,
"In both meetings, I stressed that the EU is committed to ASEAN centrality and aim to step up our cooperation in ASEAN-centred fora. We might be geographically distant but Europe is economically interdependent with the Indo-Pacific and we have a direct stake in each other’s security," he noted.
Borrell affirmed that the central role ofASEAN should not be un🔴derestimated. The EU should support this ꦆrole when it becomes areliable participant in this global structure.
Over the past years, the EU-ASEANrelations have achieved positive results, such as the signing of the StrategicPartnership Agreement, the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (CATA), andthe Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership for2023-2-27. Notably, the EU-ASEAN High-Level Commemorative Summit held inBrussels in December 2022 reinforced the growing political momentum in theEU-ASEAN strategic partnership./.
The ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Associations (AFFA) Mid-Year 2023 conference opened in the central coastal city of Da Nang on July 15 to discuss measures to create favourable conditions for trans-border logistics and human resources development, while promoting digitalisation in the field of logistics in the region.
In a recently published report, HSBC Vietnam posits that the recurring El Niño, after an absence of three years, could heighten the threat of droughts, water scarcities, and potential disruptions in trade across the ASEAN region.
The ASEAN Online Sale Day 2023, the largest online shopping event in Southeast Asia, is scheduled to take place from August 8 - 22, according to the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (Photo: AFP) 
