EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit: Celebrating 45 Years of Diplomatic Relations
EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit: Celebrating 45 years of diplomatic relations
On Wednesday 14 December, EU and ASEAN leaders will hold a Commemorative Summit in Brussels. The EU will be represented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, accompanied by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell.
The Summit will celebrate 45 years of EU-ASEAN diplomatic relations based on shared values and principles such as a rules-based international order, effective multilateralism, as well as free and fair trade. In line with the EU's Global Gateway strategy, leaders will discuss closer cooperation between the EU and ASEAN in the fields of connectivity and the green transition. Among other deliverables, two Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with Malaysia and Thailand, respectively, will be signed by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/ Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.
The EU and ASEAN elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership in December 2020 and committed to jointly work towards enhancing prosperity, promoting security, strengthening resilience and improving sustainable connectivity. The 2021 EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the principle of ASEAN centrality.
President von der Leyen, President Michel, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia and President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines will hold a press conference following the Summit. You can follow it live on EbS.
Ahead of the Commemorative Summit, several side-events are taking place in Brussels and online. A Joint Photo Exhibition showcases the depth and breadth of 45 years of EU-ASEAN relations through 45 photos on joint projects on a number of areas. The community project “Weaving the Ocean” is at the core of this multimedia exhibition.
Today, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen delivered a keynote speech at the event ‘Celebrating EU-ASEAN: People-to-People Cooperation on Higher Education' – a hybrid event which highlights the support of the EU-SHARE project in creating an ASEAN higher education mobility area.
On Tuesday 13 December, President Charles Michel, European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Urpilainen will take part in the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit ‘Deepening ASEAN-EU Trade: Sustainable Development for All', which will discuss EU-ASEAN economic cooperation and highlight opportunities for future trade and investment.
That same day, Commissioner Urpilainen will also deliver opening remarks at the EU-ASEAN Youth Summit, which will conclude the EU-ASEAN Young Leaders' Forum (YLF) annual series of events and provide a platform for young leaders to discuss key issues and future priorities with EU and ASEAN representatives.
More information on EU-ASEAN relations is available on the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Blue Book and the EU Delegation website.