The European Union last week announced the opening of a new ambassador position dedicated exclusively to handle the bloc’s relations with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations — a move seen to increase Brussels’ reach and influence in a region with booming economies, seemingly endless development potential and set to implement its own economic integration process by the end of 2015.
The announcement from the European External Action Service is part of the EU’s recent plans to upgrade its engagement with ASEAN, home to more than 600 million people, from a regular regional partnership — mostly characterized by economic and cultural cooperation — to a “strategic one,” a decision adopted at the last EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting last July in Brussels.
But what will that policy shift entail?
About the author
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
