Hanoi(VNA) – Strengthening the connectivity between theEuropean Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) anddeepening the bilateral economic ties will be one of the priorities of the27-member union this year, according to EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans.
The diplomat said thatthe signing of the EU-ASEAN comprehensive air transportagreement, the first ever region-to-region aviation agreement in 2022, willprovide quite a boost to air connectivity between the 37 countries involved.
The EU wants to invest more in the region, hesaid, adding that leaders of the union have announced 10 billion EUR (10.88 billion USD) ininvestment in Southeast Asia in the next couple of years through the “GlobalGateway” sustainable investments in the region at a hope to address some ofASEAN's big connectivity needs and build on some of the successes in thatrespect of our previous cooperation.
He noted that the EU has already signed freetrade agreements (FTA) with Singapore and Vietnam. The union will opennegotiations for FTAs with other ASEAN countries, while resuming FTAnegotiations with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
Driesmans said thatthe EU’s second priority is to develop a joint greenand sustainable agenda with the region, which is a top priority for the EU andfor its partnership with ASEAN.
He said that the union is rolling out theEU Green Deal to make the EU circular, carbon neutral economy by 2050. Therefore,it need to partner with ASEAN to make that a reality because due to rapidgrowth, ASEAN as the entire region is increasingly a CO2 emitter.
The EU has been developing quite a fewcooperation projects and programmes with ASEAN, for example, to support Smart Greencities to improve biodiversity to manage peatlands more sustainably, he noted. “Sowe will want to scale up that ambition, do much more in terms of cooperation,and add a political dimension to our work. And we look forward to work withIndonesia to hold the first ever EU-ASEAN environmental ministerial meeting.This year, and I will add one other dialogue that we will be opening is adialogue on energy with ASEAN.”
The diplomat said that the third priorityis security partnership as there's a number of security issues in both of ourregions, especially Myanmar in Southeast Asia, and Ukraine in Europe.
The EU hopes to work with ASEAN to ensure freeand open maritime supply routes in the East Sea in full compliance withinternational law, in particular the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said, pledging that the union will also support thenegotiations for a Code of Conduct on the East Sea (COC).
The ambassador alsounderlined other priorities of the EU in promoting Indo-Pacificpartnership, and ensuring a safe, prosperous ASEAN. The EU hopes for stronger andeven stronger partnership building on the momentum of the EU-ASEAN Summit inDecember, he added./.
The diplomat said thatthe signing of the EU-ASEAN comprehensive air transportagreement, the first ever region-to-region aviation agreement in 2022, willprovide quite a boost to air connectivity between the 37 countries involved.
The EU wants to invest more in the region, hesaid, adding that leaders of the union have announced 10 billion EUR (10.88 billion USD) ininvestment in Southeast Asia in the next couple of years through the “GlobalGateway” sustainable investments in the region at a hope to address some ofASEAN's big connectivity needs and build on some of the successes in thatrespect of our previous cooperation.
He noted that the EU has already signed freetrade agreements (FTA) with Singapore and Vietnam. The union will opennegotiations for FTAs with other ASEAN countries, while resuming FTAnegotiations with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
Driesmans said thatthe EU’s second priority is to develop a joint greenand sustainable agenda with the region, which is a top priority for the EU andfor its partnership with ASEAN.
He said that the union is rolling out theEU Green Deal to make the EU circular, carbon neutral economy by 2050. Therefore,it need to partner with ASEAN to make that a reality because due to rapidgrowth, ASEAN as the entire region is increasingly a CO2 emitter.
The EU has been developing quite a fewcooperation projects and programmes with ASEAN, for example, to support Smart Greencities to improve biodiversity to manage peatlands more sustainably, he noted. “Sowe will want to scale up that ambition, do much more in terms of cooperation,and add a political dimension to our work. And we look forward to work withIndonesia to hold the first ever EU-ASEAN environmental ministerial meeting.This year, and I will add one other dialogue that we will be opening is adialogue on energy with ASEAN.”
The diplomat said that the third priorityis security partnership as there's a number of security issues in both of ourregions, especially Myanmar in Southeast Asia, and Ukraine in Europe.
The EU hopes to work with ASEAN to ensure freeand open maritime supply routes in the East Sea in full compliance withinternational law, in particular the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said, pledging that the union will also support thenegotiations for a Code of Conduct on the East Sea (COC).
The ambassador alsounderlined other priorities of the EU in promoting Indo-Pacificpartnership, and ensuring a safe, prosperous ASEAN. The EU hopes for stronger andeven stronger partnership building on the momentum of the EU-ASEAN Summit inDecember, he added./.
VNA
