The EU-ASEAN Economic and Policy Forum took place in Jakarta,Indonesia on April 18, creating a chance for the two sides to shareexperience in their economic integration.
Nearly200 delegates from 48 countries, including diplomats, governmentofficials and scholars attended the event, which was jointly held by theGlobal Europe, ASEAN Secretariat, the EU Delegation to the ASEAN,Germany’s Konrad Adenauder Foundation.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Amabassador Julian Wilson, Head of theEU Delegation to ASEAN, Indonesia and Brunei noted that EU is nowthe second largest trade partner of ASE AN after China , withtwo-way trade in 2012 totalling 208 billion EUR (over 270 billion USD).Meanwhile, the 10-member association ranks fifth among EU’s majorpartners, he added.
Wilson said EU and ASEANhave also cooperated closely at the ASE AN Regional Forum (ARF),together with other dialogue partners, to settle issues of mutualconcern as well as those related to common interest in internationalsecurity on the basis of constructive dialogues and consultationsthrough trust building and preventive diplomacy in Asia-Pacific.
As EU and ASEAN have abundant potential to cooperate, the two sidesshould extend their already close ties in economics, trade andinvestment to politics-security, culture-society, especially in thecontext that Europe is fending a public debt crisis and economic mottois shifting from the West to the Asia-Pacific, said Wilson.
ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh said the event is a chance forthe two sides to share their experience in community building in theprocess of connectivity and integration, facilitating publicconsultations, while increasing mutual understanding between the tworegions, especially among policy makers and the private sector.
According to Minh, despite the great risks and challenges that bothASEAN and EU are facing, the EU-ASEAN ties in politics-security,culture-society and economics have increasingly been consolidated anddeveloped.
Participants at the forum discussed awide range of issues, including EU’s integration lessons to share withASEAN, impacts of the European public debt crisis on ASEAN, and keychallenges that the association faces in the Asia-Pacific economicintegration, as well as the FTA negotiations between EU and ASEAN membercountries.
They also talked the ASEAN-EU plan ofactions for the 2013-2017 period, potential and opportunities for the EUas a factor in Asia’s security, the formulation of long-term policiesand strategies to ensure the engagement of EU in the Asia-Pacificeconomic integration process.
Besides, the forumalso gave space for EU’s supporting programme for ASEAN in 2013, whichis included in the Banda Seri Begawan Plan of Actions, with an aim toenhance regional cooperation, maintain peace, security and stability,with ASEAN playing the central role in a forming East Asiastructure.
The EU-ASEAN Economic and Policy Forum isconsidered a venue for both sides to share with each other integrationexperiences and discuss bilateral relations in the changing globaleconomic order, as well as cooperation prospects of EU-ASEAN relationsin the new era.
Statistics have shown that in the2008-2010 period, the EU accounted for 21 percent of the total foreigndirect investment in ASEAN, and 10 percent of ASEAN’s total foreigntrade.-VNA
Nearly200 delegates from 48 countries, including diplomats, governmentofficials and scholars attended the event, which was jointly held by theGlobal Europe, ASEAN Secretariat, the EU Delegation to the ASEAN,Germany’s Konrad Adenauder Foundation.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Amabassador Julian Wilson, Head of theEU Delegation to ASEAN, Indonesia and Brunei noted that EU is nowthe second largest trade partner of ASE AN after China , withtwo-way trade in 2012 totalling 208 billion EUR (over 270 billion USD).Meanwhile, the 10-member association ranks fifth among EU’s majorpartners, he added.
Wilson said EU and ASEANhave also cooperated closely at the ASE AN Regional Forum (ARF),together with other dialogue partners, to settle issues of mutualconcern as well as those related to common interest in internationalsecurity on the basis of constructive dialogues and consultationsthrough trust building and preventive diplomacy in Asia-Pacific.
As EU and ASEAN have abundant potential to cooperate, the two sidesshould extend their already close ties in economics, trade andinvestment to politics-security, culture-society, especially in thecontext that Europe is fending a public debt crisis and economic mottois shifting from the West to the Asia-Pacific, said Wilson.
ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh said the event is a chance forthe two sides to share their experience in community building in theprocess of connectivity and integration, facilitating publicconsultations, while increasing mutual understanding between the tworegions, especially among policy makers and the private sector.
According to Minh, despite the great risks and challenges that bothASEAN and EU are facing, the EU-ASEAN ties in politics-security,culture-society and economics have increasingly been consolidated anddeveloped.
Participants at the forum discussed awide range of issues, including EU’s integration lessons to share withASEAN, impacts of the European public debt crisis on ASEAN, and keychallenges that the association faces in the Asia-Pacific economicintegration, as well as the FTA negotiations between EU and ASEAN membercountries.
They also talked the ASEAN-EU plan ofactions for the 2013-2017 period, potential and opportunities for the EUas a factor in Asia’s security, the formulation of long-term policiesand strategies to ensure the engagement of EU in the Asia-Pacificeconomic integration process.
Besides, the forumalso gave space for EU’s supporting programme for ASEAN in 2013, whichis included in the Banda Seri Begawan Plan of Actions, with an aim toenhance regional cooperation, maintain peace, security and stability,with ASEAN playing the central role in a forming East Asiastructure.
The EU-ASEAN Economic and Policy Forum isconsidered a venue for both sides to share with each other integrationexperiences and discuss bilateral relations in the changing globaleconomic order, as well as cooperation prospects of EU-ASEAN relationsin the new era.
Statistics have shown that in the2008-2010 period, the EU accounted for 21 percent of the total foreigndirect investment in ASEAN, and 10 percent of ASEAN’s total foreigntrade.-VNA
