At their sectoral Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 20 October, the European foreign affairs ministers adopted EU Council conclusions on the implementation of the strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.
With this document, the Council emphasises the role of the Union as a “reliable actor bringing added value to long-standing relations with all partners in the region”.
“We are doing a lot [in the region], but we are not as visible as we would like to be”, said Poland’s Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Ignacy Niemczycki, on his arrival at the Council.
Referring to the EU’s 2021 strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, the Council conclusions recognise the challenges of security and defence, green and digital transition, and trade and economic security.
In particular, the document argues that “the security of the Indo-Pacific and of Europe are more interlinked than ever”, and that this common security and prosperity is “directly impacted by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”.
The document highlights the support of third countries, including North Korea, for Russia’s war efforts, and calls on all countries to halt any direct or indirect assistance to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine.
It also cites persistent tensions in the South and East China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, and welcomes cooperation with partners in the region “to tackle the risks posed by shadow fleet vessels which violate international maritime rules”.
On trade, the Council states that the EU wishes to “cooperate and strengthen trade ties with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, promoting an open and rules-based multilateral trading system”.
In particular, it wants to conclude the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia and continue the ongoing negotiations on trade agreements with India, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
A new EU-Indo-Pacific ministerial forum will be held on 20 and 21 November in Brussels (see EUROPE 13733/5).
Link to the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/j1i (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)