During the Foreign Affairs Council on Thursday 20 November (see other news), the European foreign affairs ministers took part in an informal lunch on EU-ASEAN relations with the ministers of the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
They will be in Brussels until the following day, Friday 21 November, for the 4th EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum (see EUROPE 13755/22).
The working lunch provided an opportunity to discuss enhanced cooperation on economic security, supply chains, critical infrastructures and hybrid threats. The EU’s ambition is to reach a comprehensive partnership agreement with the region in the future.
“Our security is interconnected. What happens in Europe matters in Asia. What happens in Asia matters in Europe”, said the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, at a press conference.
The EU-Indo Pacific Forum will provide an opportunity for exchanges with all the region’s partners, with over a hundred bilateral meetings expected to take place alongside the plenary sessions. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)