ID :
369452
Mon, 06/01/2015 - 05:17
Auther :

EU Set To Play Major Role In Future Engagement In Asia

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah SINGAPORE, June 1 (Bernama) -- The European Union (EU) is set to play a major role in the future in its engagement in Asia, particularly in the security field. In stating this stand, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission said: "Our engagement with Asia goes well beyond trade, investment, and aid. It's political. It's strategical. And it needs to develop more also in the security field." Mogherini pointed out that four out of 10 of the EU Strategic Partners were Asian countries: China, Japan, India and the Republic of Korea. "It is not by chance that I have personally travelled to the region twice in less than one month, and in the very beginning of my mandate: I was in Japan for our EU-Japan Summit just before flying here, in Seoul and Beijing a few weeks ago. "And, we are preparing to host the EU-China Summit in Brussels at the end of June, while a Summit with South Korea is also planned. I am here today (Sunday), I will come back again in the region in August for the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, and I look forward to chairing the ASEM Foreign Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg in November," he said at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2015 Fifth Plenary Session entitled 'Global Security Challenges and the Asia-Pacific' here Sunday. Although the EU was clearly not part of the region, Mogherini said the EU attended the summit because the grouping was a partner in the region. He said: "The EU believes it is our reciprocal interest to invest even more in its friendship and in the work it can jointly do for the security of its people. "So, please, please don't look at us just as a big free trade area: the European Union is also a foreign policy community, a security and defence provider. "For our own people - within our borders and in the rest of the world; in our own region - that, we know, at the moment is one of the most turbulent ones, and we are ready to take more responsibility to bring security and stability in our part of the world, together with our neighbours; and with our global partners including Asia." Mogherini noted that Europe and Asia had a strong interest in global security. He said a very basic interest was in the freedom of navigation on the arteries of the global economy. Mogherini however said, the EU supported the ASEAN-China negotiations for a Code of Conduct and "we hope they can be concluded soon. -- BERNAMA

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