MANILA, Philippines — With the Philippines assuming the role of European Union-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN) dialogue coordinator, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the two regional blocs should continue to reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace as well as freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
Despite challenges brought about by geopolitical realities and the COVID-19 pandemic, senior officials are optimistic that EU-ASEAN relations will expand and flourish in the coming years.
The EU Delegation to the Philippines held on Thursday a webinar on “What does the Strategic Partnership Mean for EU-ASEAN Relations?” wherein diplomats discussed how the regional blocs can continue to ensure peace, prosperity, sustainability and connectedness.
The webinar also commemorated ASEAN Day, in line with the Philippines’ adopted theme of “Building the Future Better.”
EU Ambassador Luc Véron and former foreign secretary Delia Albert delivered the opening and closing remarks. Panelists included Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro, EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans and Ambassador Kok Li Peng, Singapore’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN.
Lazaro highlighted “The promotion of a rules-based international order will remain a key undertaking during the Philippines’ turn as dialogue coordinator.”
“ASEAN-EU will continue to champion the respect for international law including the 1982 UNCLOS. ASEAN and EU should continue to reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace, security, safety and the right of freedom of navigation in and overflight of the South China Sea, as well as the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with International Law particularly the 1982 UNCLOS,” Lazaro said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Véron said that the EU-ASEAN strategic partnership should be an occasion to strengthen EU-ASEAN cooperation in addressing global issues such as global warming, combatting and recovering from COVID-19, peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.
“By their very nature, global challenges cannot be addressed by countries alone. The more regional organizations work together, the stronger we are collectively and the more robust the multilateral system becomes,” Véron said.
He said the EU wants to deepen its cooperation with ASEAN members to promote effective multilateralism and address challenges including the ongoing process to strengthen the World Health Organization’s capacity against pandemics and the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
“The EU-ASEAN agenda is broad and deep, and we care deeply about it. I believe that, hand in hand with the Philippines, we will strengthen our relationship with ASEAN. This journey is a work in progress,” he added.
Driesmans emphasized that the EU is committed to work closely with the Philippines in advocating for a green partnership, enhancing security and military ties, and promoting connectivity in the region.
He said there should be more endeavors to increase people’s awareness of the efforts done by the EU and ASEAN.
“It is sometimes not enough to do the things that we mentioned, we also need to make them known to a wider audience. In many ways, we are ASEAN’s closest partner but few people know about it. Communication and visibility should be part and parcel of everything we do,” Driesmans said.
Kok highlighted how the strategic partnership paved the way for the establishment of the world’s first region-to-region air transport agreement through the ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement. This should create new growth opportunities for the aviation industry amid the pandemic.
“Indicative of a maturing relationship, the strategic partnership is a conduit for frank exchanges on difficult issues,” he said. “While we may not agree on every issue, the strategic partnership underscores the values we share while offering a platform to air our views on areas of divergence.”
Albert stated the need to continue the inspired conversations between the ASEAN and the EU about developing synergies for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, and important crosscutting issues that involve the role of women in peace, security and diplomacy.
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