For the first time, European and Southeast Asian leaders will gather in Brussels on December 14th for a bloc-to-bloc summit. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is now the EU’s 3rd largest trading partner outside Europe, after China and the US. Bilateral trade in goods was worth €215.9 billion last year. And the EU is ASEAN’s third largest trading partner, again after China and the US. More than that, both see a future in deepening ties. The EU became a “strategic partner” of ASEAN in 2020. European militaries now drill with Southeast Asian militaries, and European navies tour the region to maintain freedom of navigation. The EU is a major investor in the region, and increasingly it’s making a niche as a major partner in climate action. But will it come from the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit?
