№204: Prospects for the Development of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership
On 1 December 2020, the foreign ministers of the Member States of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided to upgrade the relations of both organisations to the level of a strategic partnership. Both sides indicate that they share, among others, a commitment to multilateralism, peaceful settlement of disputes based on international rules, climate protection, and free and fair trade. The partnership may contribute to the strengthening of multilateral cooperation weakened by the U.S.-China rivalry, a stronger position of both organisations in relation to China, and their economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. One challenge for closer cooperation will be the respect of human rights in ASEAN states and economic integration of its members with the countries of Asia and the Pacific region.
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