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EU urges to move relationship with ASEAN to strategic level

Xinhua, June 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

European Union foreign ministers agreed Monday that the EU and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) must work together to move their relationship to the strategic level.

The call was made as the foreign ministers met in Luxembourg for a Council of the EU conference.

According to an official statement, the EU side reiterated the move to an EU-ASEAN strategic partnership would be matched by the EU's presence at the region's strategic table, including at a summit level through the EU's involvement in the East Asia Summit-process.

The EU side stressed the importance of EU-ASEAN cooperation on connectivity, saying the EU had valuable assets to support ASEAN in achieving its connectivity goals and was looking forward to stepping up mutually-beneficial cooperation also through dedicated mechanisms on sustainable and inclusive economic integration, trade and border management.

The EU will provide financial support from its cooperation programs, through the European Investment Bank, the Asia Investment Facility and the bilateral assistance programs by EU member states.

"The EU has a genuine strategic interest in strengthening its relationship with the ASEAN, the major contributor for stability in the Asia-Pacific region," said the statement, underlining the EU's commitment to supporting ASEAN regional integration and further deepening relations.

ASEAN as a whole represents the EU's third largest trading partner outside Europe. The EU is ASEAN third largest trading partner after China and Japan. And the EU is by far the largest investor in ASEAN countries.

The foreign ministers' meeting also touched on issues such as extension of EU economic sanctions against Russia and moves to combat human smugglers. Endit