If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the EU and ASEAN must come together as like-minded ‘partners in integration’, even if they are geographically distant.

While others choose to undercut multilateralism, our organizations should ensure that our trading systems, prosperity and security are governed by rules and based on international agreements, not on the idea that “might makes right”. Neither ASEAN nor the EU is ready to become part of any “sphere of influence.” It is not the law of the strong that must prevail, but the strength of the law.

We know that only together we can overcome this terrible pandemic. Last May we successfully pushed for the adoption of a resolution on the coronavirus by the WHO Assembly, which foresees an impartial, independent and comprehensive review of lessons learned from the international health response.

Acting together as the EU we are assisting partners around the world in tackling the virus and its socio-economic impact. In ASEAN alone, we mobilized over 800 million euros (US$944.62 million) in this “Team Europe” effort, more than any other partner of ASEAN.

The only viable exit strategy is a safe and reliable vaccine. Also here, we choose a multilateral response: the EU is mobilizing 400 million euros in guarantees to support the COVAX initiative for a global supply of vaccines for citizens across the world, in poor and rich countries. We have proposed that experts from the EU and ASEAN get together to see how best we can cooperate on vaccine security.

The second priority for both sides will be to reboot our economies. As the first investor in ASEAN, the EU is committed to stepping up our economic partnership. The challenge is to promote deeper ASEAN economic integration as well as closer ties between us.

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