ASEAN - one of the best case of regional integration and multilateralism: The EU Ambassador to ASEAN
Similarly to the European Union, ASEAN serves as one of the best case studies on the benefits of regional integration and multilateralism.
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| The EU Ambassador to ASEAN Sujiro Seam (left) and ASEAN's General Secretary Kao Kim Hourn. (Photo: asean.org) |
As is often the life case, it is important for organizations – be it private or public – to take a step back, reflect, and, most importantly, look ahead. The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 offers such an opportunity for ASEAN and it is my firm belief that its high-caliber guests offer insights that will benefit ASEAN in general and its, given the approaching milestone, ASEAN’s Post-2025 Vision.
Since 1977, when the European Union established our relations with ASEAN, our interests vis-à-vis ASEAN have been twofold – to support its regional integration and to ensure that its centrality – which has enabled ASEAN to formulate and implement policies that are decided by ASEAN and for the benefit of ASEAN’s citizens – remains sacrosanct.
At a time of intensified great power rivalry and multilateralism being knowingly weakened by some of the very countries that should be protecting it, it is up to us, as the world’s two most successful examples of regional integration and its rich dividends, to continue leading by example.
In December 2022, on the occasion of the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Brussels, our leaders jointly formulated an ambitious blueprint for future cooperation and at the same time endorsed our most comprehensive Plan of Action in history. With these documents serving as the bedrock of our engagement for the coming years, the European Union and ASEAN have agreed to jointly endeavor to deepen our strategic cooperation in some areas where our citizens – and perhaps also the wider world – expect our leadership by example, including on green issues and sustainable connectivity.
In this context, I would like to recall that in December 2022, the European Union announced a 10 billion EUR package for Global Gateway projects in Southeast Asia and I am pleased to announce that their implementation is well on the way. All of this is happening against a backdrop of lively exchanges of experience from a wide range of policy areas via more than 20 technical dialogues, from human rights to building codes. Through our cooperation, we continually demonstrate our shared commitment to the very values on which our two organizations are based and are constantly on the lookout for new opportunities that would make our strategic partnership more dynamic and bring our two regions closer.
Similarly to the European Union, ASEAN serves as one of the best case studies on the benefits of regional integration and multilateralism. The story of Southeast Asia’s regional integration underlines the fact that peaceful coexistence with one’s neighbors brings about a virtuous cycle of development, including economic growth and other forms of cooperation that are of major benefit to the countries and the region in question. Peace, stability, and prosperity are therefore clearly interlinked and need to be upheld – if necessary protected – at all costs.
The events in our two regions, like in Ukraine, and Myanmar or the growing tensions in the South China Sea show that peace and stability cannot be taken for granted and highlight the need for us to remain principled when it comes to protecting multilateralism and international law. Any diversion from these principles would put us – the EU, ASEAN, or indeed the wider world – on a slippery slope with very uncertain outcomes.
Vietnam has been a valued partner of the European Union and our relations are very well developed, as confirmed by the trinity of key agreements we have concluded over the years – Free Trade Agreement, Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, and Common Security and Defence Framework Participation Agreement. Looking ahead, we count on Vietnam’s friendly support for an ever-stronger EU-ASEAN strategic partnership.
