The Foreign Ministers of the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided on Monday 21 January to strengthen relations between the two regions by becoming strategic partners.
“We agree in principle to transform EU-ASEAN relations into a strategic partnership, subject to the details and timetable to be defined”, the Ministers announced in a joint statement.
“It is indeed a recognition of the already strategic partnership we are having in many different fields [...] but [it] also sends a signal to the rest of the world that the two most advanced and most successful regional organizations’ processes in the world - ASEAN and the European Union - not only stand firmly behind multilateralism and a cooperative and regional approach, but also come together to promote a common agenda globally”, explained the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, to the media.
Although the EU and ASEAN are organised in “quite different” ways, they share the same values and common operational principles, said Singapore's Foreign Minister and ASEAN coordinator for EU relations, Vivian Balakrishnan. “They are fairly natural partners”, he added.
In the seven-page joint statement, the two sides recognize “the need for close cooperation to address common challenges” and underline a “commitment to strengthen relations and cooperation [...] in all areas of mutual interest”, such as fair and open trade, sustainable development, closing the development gap, energy security and clean energy, the environment and climate change.
Strengthening political and security dialogue and cooperation between ASEAN and the EU were cited, in particular in the areas of maritime security, cybersecurity, the fight against terrorism, transnational crime and border management.
Connectivity and people-to-people contacts are also being highlighted as both sides approach the conclusion of a comprehensive region-to-region air transport agreement (CATA), “a first of its kind", according to Ms Mogherini.
The declaration also refers to respect for the rule of law, sovereignty and the territorial integrity of States.
While the text underlines a commitment to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to cooperate even more closely on these issues, there is no mention of violations of these rights, particularly by ASEAN members Cambodia and Burma. However, in front of the press, Ms Mogherini reiterated the EU's position on the situation of the Rohingya in Burma. On 22 January, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah told the European Parliament that ASEAN ministers were working towards the “voluntary and safe” return of the Rohingya, but said that they did not trust Burma.
The EU also noted its ambition to participate in the East Asian Summit.
Trade and economy. A priority for the EU in 2019, the reform and consolidation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which guarantees an open multilateral system, is being called for by both regions, which also warn against protectionism.
They are also calling for the reform of all WTO functions: negotiation, monitoring, regulatory and dispute settlement capacities must be reviewed.
On the eve of the meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which put the digital economy on its agenda, both sides recognise " the need to work together to find solutions to the challenges arising from the rapid expansion of the digital economy and technological change, including the fight against tax avoidance, tax evasion and fraud", the joint statement declares.
Progress on the “sensitive” issue of palm oil. The two regions have also decided to set up a joint working party between the EU and ASEAN countries exporting palm oil - mainly Indonesia and Malaysia. "Our partners today have heard a very firm and strong commitment from the European Union side to work with them on the sensitive issue of palm oil", Ms Mogherini also told the press, adding that the working party will address together "the possible negative environmental and social impacts of the production of palm oil“. The composition of the working party was not revealed.
"We appreciate the creation of a joint commission to address the issue of palm oil in order to improve the situation", Abdullah added to Parliament. He also wanted to be reassuring about the deforestation process generated by palm plantations, pledging that this process had now been stopped and that producing countries were also working to ensure the sustainability of their production.
See the joint statement: https://bit.ly/2T9qZte . (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Hermine Donceel)