ASEAN - 'Centrality' always comes to mind: EU Ambassador Sujiro Seam
Sharing with The World and Vietnam Report, EU Ambassador to ASEAN Sujiro Seam expressed his impression of the 'centrality' of ASEAN, which helps ASEAN to develop strongly from within, while creating a successful network of partnerships, becoming one of the typical examples of regional integration.
Latest
 |
| The EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting, Brussels (Belgium), 2 February. (Source: asean.org) |
How do you assess ASEAN's central role in promoting peace, stability, and development in the region amid the rapid changes occurring today?
When referring to ASEAN, “Centrality” always comes to mind. This key concept means that engagement with South-East Asian Nations goes through ASEAN and respects its organisation and structure. This engagement is organised around the three pillars of ASEAN, with the Political and Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community. This engagement is structured around the institutional arrangements of ASEAN, from Leaders’ Summits to Ministerial Meetings and Senior Official Meetings.
 |
| EU Ambassador to ASEAN Sujiro Seam. (Source: asean.org) |
Amid rapid changes around the world, ASEAN continues to provide a stable platform for engagement, in particular for its Dialogue Partners, including the European Union. The East Asia Summit at Leaders’ level and the ASEAN Regional Forum at Foreign Ministers’ level in particular continue to promote peace and stability, bringing together partners from around the world with different views, with the aim of fostering dialogue, cooperation, confidence building and preventive diplomacy.
Another example of ASEAN “Centrality” is the way it sets the standard to address sensitive situations like in Myanmar or the South China Sea. Indeed, the ASEAN “5 Point Consensus” on Myanmar or the ASEAN-led negotiation of a “Code of Conduct” on the South China Sea offer reference frameworks, which continue to receive broad support, including from the EU.
In a fragmented world, how could ASEAN and the EU collaborate to promote peace and cooperation?
ASEAN and the EU are considered as the most successful examples of regional integration across the globe. They both pursue the same overarching goals of peace and prosperity. They both share the belief that individual nations can achieve more together than alone. They both defend the value of a multilateral system with the United Nations as its cornerstone.
These goals, beliefs and values are at the heart of the ASEAN – EU Strategic Partnership. In a fragmented world, it is crucial for ASEAN and the EU to continue to promote these goals, beliefs and values, reflected in the Joint Leaders’ Statement and the Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN – EU Strategic Partnership 2023-2027, endorsed at the EU - ASEAN 45th Anniversary Commemorative Summit of 2022 in Brussels.
The Joint Leaders’ Statement and Plan of Action are implemented through joint projects, in particular the Green and Sustainable Connectivity Team Europe Initiatives, worth respectively EUR 30 and 60 Million, bringing together the EU, its Member States and Financial Institutions. These joint projects are the best examples of the EU – ASEAN collaboration to promote peace and cooperation. They include cooperation on climate action, environment protection, energy transition, trade, digital cooperation, civil aviation, maritime safety, intellectual property and higher education.
 |
| Secretary-General of ASEAN and EU Ambassador to ASEAN Sujiro Seam launched the SCOPE-HE Programme to enhance educational cooperation. (Source: asean.org). |
What are your comments on the spirit of solidarity and self-reliance, along with the development goals (such as the ASEAN Community Vision 2045) of ASEAN?
In a fragmented world, in the face of great power rivalry and disengagement from the multilateral system, the EU is determined to reduce excessive dependencies and increase its security. This is one of the imperatives for the new EU Competitiveness Compass, which is a priority reflected in
“Europe’s Choice”, the EU Political Guidelines for 2024-2029.
ASEAN is an economic powerhouse, one of the fastest growing regions in the world, at the crossroad of major trade routes. However, it does not come at a surprise that ASEAN puts more emphasis on the spirit of solidarity and self-reliance in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The EU looks forward to the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 under the Malaysian Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025. This ASEAN Community Vision 2045 will contribute to provide guidance for the future of the ASEAN - EU Strategic Partnership.
In your opinion, what role does Vietnam play in advancing the development goals and partnership relationships of ASEAN?
Within ASEAN, Vietnam leads the way, especially on trade and on the energy transition. It is indeed with Singapore one of the two ASEAN Member States with a Free Trade Agreement with the EU. It is also with Indonesia one of the two ASEAN Member States with a Just Energy Transition Partnership.
The EU is ASEAN 3rd largest trading partner, but with the Free Trade Agreement, EU-Vietnam trade increased by 40%. The EU support to the Just Energy Transition Partnership in Vietnam translated into flagship projects under its “Global Gateway” initiative to invest in infrastructure development. For example, the Bac Ai hydropower project, supported by the EU through its “Global Gateway” initiative, added 1200 MW to the renewable energy production in Vietnam.
On this basis, Vietnam is particularly well placed to act as a champion for trade and the energy transition in the context of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. Vietnam could therefore act as a champion in the context of the EU-ASEAN High Level Dialogue on Energy, in the cooperation between the EU and the ASEAN Center for Energy, as well as for the development of the ASEAN Power Grid.
It could also act as a champion in the trade dimension of the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership, which retains a region to region Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and the EU as a long term goal, with bilateral Free Trade Agreements as building blocks towards that long term goal and a short to medium term focus on the green and digital transitions and the resilience of supply chains.
Finally, beyond specific topics such as trade and the energy transition, the ASEAN Future Forum is a most welcome initiative from Vietnam, fostering a debate aimed at building a stronger ASEAN. The EU is proud to contribute to this debate.
Multimedia
Infographics Photos Videos E magazine
