Senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) have gathered in Brussels for their23rd Senior Officials' Meeting to review the two sides’ enhancedpartnership and discuss future direction.
The July 2 meetingnoted with satisfaction the progress achieved in ASEAN-EU relations andshared willingness to work towards a strategic partnership embracingall aspects of mutual interest, including those underpinned by politicaland security cooperation.
In this connection, ASEAN welcomed the EU’s interest in furthering engagement with the region through all ASEAN-led processes.
Themeeting agreed there should be mechanisms to intensify the follow-upwork towards an ASEAN-EU strategic partnership and welcomed Thailand'soffer, as incoming country coordinator for relations with the EU, totake this forward.
Particular emphasis was placed on topics ofmutual interest for ASEAN and the EU to work together, such as maritimesecurity, cooperation on trans-national crime and counter-terrorism,connectivity, business, trade and investment, enhanced capacity onmediation and reconciliation, climate change, environment and disastermanagement.
ASEAN and the EU also devoted special attention tothe challenge of irregular migration, trafficking in human beings andthe need for comprehensive regional responses, including those relatedto tackling the root causes, and in providing assistance and protectionto those in need.
The meeting shared positive views onincreasingly close trade and investment relations between ASEAN and theEU and continued engagement in this respect.
Both sides sharedpositive views on the industry's active role and engagement in bilateralcooperation as a way to deliver the objectives of smart, sustainableand inclusive growth.
Reaffirming the commitment by ASEAN and EUministers at the 20th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM), the Meetingunderlined the prospects of closer cooperation on environment andclimate change, at a time when both sides prepare for the UN ClimateChange Conference (COP21) to take place in Paris in this December andthe forthcoming approval by the United Nations General Assembly ofpost-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
The EU reiterated itssupport for ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture andexpressed its appreciation for ASEAN's important contribution topromoting dialogue and cooperation for peace, security, stability andprosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.-VNA
The July 2 meetingnoted with satisfaction the progress achieved in ASEAN-EU relations andshared willingness to work towards a strategic partnership embracingall aspects of mutual interest, including those underpinned by politicaland security cooperation.
In this connection, ASEAN welcomed the EU’s interest in furthering engagement with the region through all ASEAN-led processes.
Themeeting agreed there should be mechanisms to intensify the follow-upwork towards an ASEAN-EU strategic partnership and welcomed Thailand'soffer, as incoming country coordinator for relations with the EU, totake this forward.
Particular emphasis was placed on topics ofmutual interest for ASEAN and the EU to work together, such as maritimesecurity, cooperation on trans-national crime and counter-terrorism,connectivity, business, trade and investment, enhanced capacity onmediation and reconciliation, climate change, environment and disastermanagement.
ASEAN and the EU also devoted special attention tothe challenge of irregular migration, trafficking in human beings andthe need for comprehensive regional responses, including those relatedto tackling the root causes, and in providing assistance and protectionto those in need.
The meeting shared positive views onincreasingly close trade and investment relations between ASEAN and theEU and continued engagement in this respect.
Both sides sharedpositive views on the industry's active role and engagement in bilateralcooperation as a way to deliver the objectives of smart, sustainableand inclusive growth.
Reaffirming the commitment by ASEAN and EUministers at the 20th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM), the Meetingunderlined the prospects of closer cooperation on environment andclimate change, at a time when both sides prepare for the UN ClimateChange Conference (COP21) to take place in Paris in this December andthe forthcoming approval by the United Nations General Assembly ofpost-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
The EU reiterated itssupport for ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture andexpressed its appreciation for ASEAN's important contribution topromoting dialogue and cooperation for peace, security, stability andprosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.-VNA
