During a summit in Manila, European Council President Donald Tusk and the leaders of the ASEAN bloc countries (Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) agreed, on Tuesday 14 November, to step up their efforts for a strategic partnership, strengthening all areas of dialogue and cooperation.
The two blocs will thus use their new 2018-2020 action plan as a basis for this, and their joint commitment to implementing the Paris international climate agreement.
The EU reaffirmed its support to the ASEAN in its key role for the regional architecture in East Asia and in its efforts "to promote dialogue, moderation, peaceful cooperation, security and stability" in the Asia Pacific region – which is torn by territorial conflicts at sea. The EU also reaffirmed its support to the regional integration process between the countries of the ASEAN bloc.
The EU and ASEAN leaders furthermore expressed their determination to work together to strengthen rules-based international order and multilateralism.
Tusk and his South East Asian counterparts also underlined the importance of strengthening the EU-ASEAN economic partnership to increase trade and investment between the two blocs, "on the basis of transparency, openness and sustainability".
They agreed "to step up work for the resumption" of negotiations for a bi-regional EU-ASEAN free trade agreement, building on the EU-Singapore and EU-Vietnam free trade agreements. Negotiations for the EU-ASEAN free trade agreement were started in 2007 but interrupted in 2009.
The two blocs furthermore affirmed their commitment to concluding an agreement on air transport.
"The potential for greater engagement is enormous. From trade to the climate, from maritime security to counter-terrorism, together we can make our two regions stronger", Tusk stated. "Like the EU, the ASEAN is vital for stability in a challenging regional context and a time of geopolitical volatility", he added.
Tusk called for increased cooperation in all sectors, especially in the fight against terrorism. "Tensions and radicalisation in the Asia-Pacific can destabilise the world well beyond your region. Terrorist ideologies have spread across continents. We can mitigate this threat if we work together, sharing information on suspects and trends of concern", he said.
Tusk also underlined the strengthening of trade between the two regions. "Free and fair trade is and always will be in our DNA. The bilateral trade agreements between the European Union and Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand will be the stepping stones towards a future region-to-region trade agreement that can set a new standard for global trade", he assured.
The EU is currently the ASEAN zone's top investor. Its foreign direct investments in the ASEAN countries increased by 46% in 2017, and it invests more than the USA and Japan combined there, Tusk stated. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)