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ASEAN, EU elevate ties to become ‘strategic partners’
The European Union upgraded its relationship with ASEAN into a strategic partnership this week, but Indonesia harbors reservations regarding the bloc's stance on palm oil.
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Stick together: The European Union’s then-foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini (second right), poses for a photo with Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai (left) and Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (second left) during the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok on Aug. 1, 2019. (AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)
A
fter years of continuous lobbying, the European Union upgraded its relationship with ASEAN into a strategic partnership, which enables it a higher level of engagement with the region’s leaders.
However, concerns about the EU’s stance on palm oil has Indonesia feeling weary about the supranational organization having a bigger presence in the region.
On Tuesday, foreign ministers of ASEAN and EU nations, together with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, met virtually to upgrade their ties at the 23rd EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting, co-chaired by Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell.
“The opportunity for more engagement among our leaders to oversee and shape opportunities for further cooperation on trade, security and defense, and sustainable development […] is a recognition of the degree of our existing cooperation, as well as a platform for even greater engagement,” Borell said in his remarks published on the EU’s official website.
With the new status, the EU is seeking more significant engagement with ASEAN on various issues, including in the development of the Indo-Pacific regional order.
Indo-Pacific is a loaded term that describes a strategic shift from the previously preferred Asia-Pacific, which some countries have used as a means to take the focus away from the influence of China, experts have said.
Brussels has made no secret about its strategic interests in a region straddling the Indian and Pacific oceans, especially in its crux, where ASEAN and the highly disputed South China Sea are situated.
