Xavier Bettel at the EU-Indo-Pacific Forum and the EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting

Minister Bettel then attended the 24th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, an opportunity to discuss the strategic partnership between the EU and ASEAN countries, as well as both organisations’ commitment to a rules-based international order, effective and sustainable multilateralism, and free and fair trade against a backdrop of growing global instability. The implementation of the Global Gateway initiative in the ASEAN region was also discussed. Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade “The EU and ASEAN are the two most advanced and successful regional projects in the world, both committed to multilateralism. Our bilateral relations have made significant progress over the last decades. Looking ahead, Luxembourg will attach particular importance to our cooperation on trade and investment, climate change and green transition, as well as connectivity,” said Minister Bettel. Alongside these two events, Minister Bettel held several bilateral meetings. He met the Secretary General of ASEAN and his counterparts from Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Malaysia. These meetings provided an opportunity to exchange views on the latest international developments and issues of common interest. Following editions in Paris in February 2022 and Stockholm in May 2023, this 3rd Forum, attended by 38 Indo-Pacific countries and three regional organisations, aimed to consolidate the partnership between the EU and the Indo-Pacific, two highly interconnected and interdependent regions. The partners also reaffirmed their commitment to support the rules-based international order, the principles of the UN Charter and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to promote security and stability in a free and open Indo-Pacific. Participating in a roundtable on “Shared Prosperity, Economic Resilience and Investment”, Minister Bettel highlighted three priorities for the EU and Indo-Pacific partners: open and constructive dialogue, mutual respect and respect for international law, and the need to find common solutions to global challenges.

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