EU-ASEAN relations
EP calls for stronger EU focus on ASEAN Community
The European Parliament today adopted with a large majority the first EP report on the EU's relations with the ASEAN Community (1). Commenting after the vote, Green draftsman/rapporteur Reinhard Bütikofer said:
"Parliament has today highlighted the need for the EU to strengthen its relations with the ASEAN Community. The report calls for the EU to give greater priority to its relations with this politically and economically important region, notably creating an EU delegation to ASEAN. It also calls for stronger cooperation with ASEAN in various international organisations, as well as the creation of an EU-ASEAN inter-parliamentary assembly in the medium term.
"The report underlines the potential for promoting increased people to people connectivity and outlines proposals to that end, as well as proposals to strengthen cooperation in the field of education.
"The EU should build on this momentum and step up its game towards Asia."
(1) ASEAN is the umbrella-organisation of 10 South-East-Asian states, totalling 623.6 million citizens.
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