Brussels, 14 December 2022
Dear Prime Minister Hun Sen,
Dear President Marcos,
Dear Charles,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We had an excellent Summit today with our ASEAN partners. Quite a special Summit, too, indeed. Because it marks 45 years of relations between us, and it is a perfect occasion to open a new chapter in our partnership.
We are what you just said and called ‘strategic partners’. What stands behind this term is the reality of two regions that have so much in common despite being a world apart. We are the two most successful regional integration projects in the world. We share the same unyielding commitment to multilateralism, and the international rule of law. That means the same rules for all, whether big or small. And we both want to relegate the notion of spheres of influence to the past, where it belongs. The European Union pleads for closer cooperation between the EU and the ASEAN partners. Russia has unleashed its war of aggression against Ukraine. War has returned to the European continent. And it is clearthat this is not solely a European problem, but the world is feeling the brutal shock waves of this war on food prices, on energy security.
And all this is a stark reminder that today, in this world of interdependencies, there is no such thing as a European problem, or an Asian problem either. All the challenges we face today are of global nature and therefore affect all of us. You, ASEAN, know what is at stake. We are therefore very grateful that you have signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with Ukraine. We very much welcome that. The more acute global challenges are, the stronger our partnership must be. And today, we indeed discussed several strands of work to reinforce this partnership.
The first one is energy. We want to accelerate, together with our partners, the clean energy revolution. So today, for example, we launched a Just Energy Transition Partnership with Vietnam, similar to the one we have with Indonesia. And we have also decided to start an EU-ASEAN new Energy Dialogue. Because we all know that renewable energy is not only good for our climate but it is also home-grown and therefore creates independence and security of supply.
Second point is trade. A lot has been said on trade. We want to trade more with each other. We already are each other’s third largest trading partners. Our free trade agreements with Vietnam and Singapore are delivering. That is impressive. So the European Union wants to conclude more such agreements with ASEAN countries. And our ultimate goal would be to negotiate a region-to-region free trade agreement.
And my third and last point is on infrastructure. Because our energy and trade cooperation will only reach its full potential if it is underpinned by the right infrastructure. Today, Team Europe put forward a EUR-10-billion investment package under Global Gateway.
Let me end, Prime Minister Hun Sen, by thanking you for your excellent Chairmanship this year. I am now looking forward to working with Indonesia under its Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023. We have behind us over four decades of partnership, and we will continue championing peace, stability and prosperity together.
Thank you very much.
Source – EU Commission
EU-ASEAN: Press remarks by EU Commission HRVP Borrell
Check against delivery!
Good morning,
Today is a celebration day. 45 years of diplomatic relations with ASEAN.
I am going to sign, on behalf of the European Union, two Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with Thailand and Malaysia. [These are] important steps in increasing our cooperation with ASEAN countries.
The importance of ASEAN needs to be enhanced. We are the biggest cooperation partner on development. We are the second investor in the region, and the third partner with the region.
This region is a vibrant economy. It will be growing and growing in the next years. Now, right now, one third of all trade maritime trade in the world by volume goes through the South China Sea. So, for us, it is [an] aorta vein. [It is very] important that these navigation [routes] remain free and secure.
We are going to talk about security, also. Security has two sides: Ukraine, on one side, and mainly, the South China Sea, which means the tensions with China.
So, it is going to be an important meeting. 45 years of diplomatic relations, and an important future in front of us for our cooperation.
Q&A
Q. How do you want to make sure that the EU is not going to be overtaken in the ASEAN region by other economic actors, such as the USA and China?
Engaging more. If you do not want to be overtaken by others, you have to engage more, to invest more, to partner more, to trade more, [and] to take very much into consideration their concerns. And these two Partnership and Cooperation Agreements [with Malaysia and Thailand] that I am going to sign are good examples of this strong engagement. There is a battle of offers, today, in the geopolitical arena – not only a battle of narratives, but a battle of offers. We have to offer more.
Q. Are you going to keep the same relations with Qatar if Qatar tries to bribe politicians here?
Qatar is not going to be present today, in this meeting.
Q. I understand there was supposed to be a part about Taiwan in this Declaration. The EU would have liked that, but it was dropped amid disagreements. Are you disappointed by this?
Well, the Declaration is not yet finished. [It is] still being discussed. On many issues, there is still not yet a final agreement. Let’s see which is the final wording of the Declaration.
Q. The EU will pledge €10 billion to finance projects in Southeast Asia, but that is just 1% of what needed by 2027, according to the ADB. Is the Global Gateway delivering as it should be?
The Global Gateway is underway. It is a work in [progress]. This Sunday, we had the Board of the Global Gateway. It is the way of putting together our efforts – Member States, financial institutions and European institutions. Yes, there is €10 billion. Certainly, it is not enough – much more is needed. But it is important that we show what do we do, presenting a united front. 27 Member States plus the European Institutions, plus the financial institutions. You know, our [European] Investment Bank is bigger than the World Bank. And in Europe, we have to put together everything. The foreign policy of the European Union requires one thing: more unity and presenting all of us a unity. We are not a political institution like the United States, a political unity like the United States, but we can do much more by putting our efforts together. This is what Global Gateway is about.
Q. President [of the European Parliament, Roberta] Metsola said that she expects more to come with this corruption scandal. Are you afraid too that there might come more?
On this issue, there is the judiciary and there is the police. [There are] a lot of rumors, but the important thing is not the rumors. The important thing is facts. Let the judiciary work. We are in a rule of law system. We have an independent judiciary. We have the police working at the service of the investigation. So, the best thing we can do is to let the judiciary work. Certainly, we condemn corruption everywhere – even at home. But stop spreading rumors. Let’s go to the facts. Let the judiciary and the police work.
Q. Iran’s government executed people who were demonstrating for freedom. What do you say about that?
We had the Foreign Affairs Ministers [Council meeting] on Monday and we approved strong sanctions against Iran [in response to] the human rights issues and, in particular, for the execution of these two demonstrators. Since Monday, there is nothing new for us.
Thank you.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-235205
Source – EEAS