Ambassadors of ASEAN member countries accredited to the UK met with officials at the British foreign secretary’s residence last week, in what amounts to London’s latest push to make inroads in Southeast Asia, way before there is finality in the Brexit process.

Indonesian Ambassador to the UK Rizal Sukma reaffirmed the need for London “to honor the basic principles of ASEAN” so that its member states could accept the UK as a fully fledged dialogue partner, according to a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in London.

“[The UK must] honor ASEAN’s principles, which include, among other things, respect for each state’s sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity, as well as the right to be free from foreign interference and subversion,” Rizal said as quoted from Monday’s statement.

Rizal underscored the importance of knowing how decision making and engagement within ASEAN works — as it was essential in convincing member states to arrive at a consensus to take on new dialogue partners.

For the past two decades, ASEAN has imposed a moratorium on expanding external relations through the establishment of new dialogue partnerships, instead placing more focus on expanding existing relationships. Additionally, the group is currently trying to manage the influence of major powers in the Indo-Pacific region, which sees Southeast Asia as its crux.

Experts have also called out the UK’s many cooperation initiatives as part of a larger plan to expand British security and economic influence in the region.

“ASEAN will not show partiality toward any one major power. The support of ASEAN partners in maintaining ASEAN neutrality is one of the conditions for third-country partnerships with ASEAN,” Rizal said.

Amid uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the UK has doubled down on its engagement with partners from other regions, including through the British Commonwealth and ASEAN. Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei belong to both groups, and have served UK interests in the region.

Britain’s minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, who accompanied Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the ASEAN meeting last Wednesday, undertook a massive tour across Southeast Asia last year to promote the UK’s “All of Asia” approach and announce a plan to expand its presence there, which includes appointing a dedicated envoy and mission to ASEAN.

The UK has mainly dealt with ASEAN through the EU, which is a fully fledged dialogue partner, but the current Brexit talks has London seeking an autonomous relationship with ASEAN.

“Our ever closer partnership will provide even more increased trading opportunities for British businesses after the UK leaves the EU,” Field said in a separate UK press release of the meeting.

“With a new, permanent British diplomatic mission in Jakarta specifically dedicated to growing our links with the ASEAN group set to open later this year, I look forward to our links with Southeast Asia growing even stronger after Brexit.”

As a group — the so-called ASEAN London Committee — ASEAN envoys welcomed the increase in UK-ASEAN cooperation in various sectors. They said, however, that in order to become an ASEAN dialogue partner, they required “a strong commitment by the UK, including attendance by the British head of government at ASEAN+ meetings”.

Also during the meeting, the British government unveiled a plan for its new International Development Secretary Rory Stewart to visit Indonesia at the end of May.

The visit, which aims to further reflect the UK’s commitment to strengthening ties with ASEAN, will be Stewart’s first overseas after taking on his role earlier this month.

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