The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized a meeting to bring together ASEAN and the European Union (EU) to enhance their mutually beneficial cooperation.
Chairman of the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council (APRC) Surakiat Sathianthai gave a speech at the opening of the 3rd ASEAN-EU High-Level Dialogue on Maritime Security Cooperation, stating that relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union have always been founded on mutually beneficial cooperation from the realm of politics and security to economics and socio-cultural matters. He emphasized the two blocs’ collaboration on maritime peace, highlighting their ability to peacefully settle maritime conflicts in the past.
He called for both unions to continue to work together to protect maritime resources and defend them from illegal fishing practices while also reminding that traditional fishing practices must be preserved. He also brought up work against natural marine disasters, lauding the setting up of a fund by the EU and ASEAN+3, which includes China, South Korea and Japan, to deal with the issue.
