Kuala lumpur: European Union (EU) and ASEAN must continue to deepen their partnership towards achieving a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by 2027, said European Council President Antonio Costa. He emphasized that the upcoming 50th anniversary of EU-ASEAN relations in 2027 presents a timely opportunity to strengthen collaboration by addressing shared challenges such as climate change, ocean protection, and technological transformation. This includes exploring new areas of cooperation in digitalisation, security, and education.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Costa stated at the 47th ASEAN Summit (Plenary) and the Handover Ceremony of the Second Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) that the EU is proud to engage with ASEAN as a reliable partner amid today's shifting geopolitical landscape. He highlighted the importance of building a global network of cooperation across regions to strengthen the partnership in a multipolar world marked by growing fragmentation and uncertainty.
The EU is ASEAN's third-largest trading partner and its third-largest investor, with deeply interlinked economies that continue to generate opportunities, growth, and stability. Costa pointed out the necessity of securing supply chains, diversifying partnerships, promoting sustainable trade, and building resilience in critical sectors. He noted that the EU has recently concluded a Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia, its third such agreement with an ASEAN member, following earlier agreements with Singapore and Vietnam. Negotiations with Thailand, Philippines, and Malaysia are progressing well.
Costa reaffirmed the EU's support at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels for key regional connectivity projects, including the ASEAN Power Grid, in line with the Malaysian Chairmanship's theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability.' The EU-ASEAN partnership is rooted in shared security interests, particularly maritime security, and a joint commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific grounded in international law. Both regions share a commitment to multilateralism, the rules-based international order, and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Emphasizing the importance of international law, Costa reiterated the EU's commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and to protecting the sovereignty of all nations. He congratulated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on his leadership in brokering the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand in July, highlighting it as a demonstration of ASEAN's commitment to peace, stability, and dialogue. Costa also praised Anwar's successful chairmanship of ASEAN this year and expressed appreciation for the Prime Minister's invitation to the EU to participate at the Summit for the first time.
Furthermore, Costa congratulated ASEAN on the inclusion of Timor-Leste as its 11th member state, calling it an important milestone in fostering Timor-Leste's economic and political interdependence and in strengthening regional integration. The 47th ASEAN Summit, which began today and runs through October 28 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, brings together ASEAN leaders and their dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Japan, and India (attending virtually). This gathering is expected to be the largest ASEAN meeting since the bloc's inception in 1967. This year marks Malaysia's fifth time chairing ASEAN, following previous chairmanships in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.