After five-year partnership, UK strengthens ties with ASEAN

The British Ambassador to ASEAN, Helen Fazey, has stated that the United Kingdom is celebrating five years of partnership as an ASEAN dialogue partner by strengthening cooperation in the political, security, economic, social, and cultural fields. “We are working on the green transition, supporting ASEAN in developing the ASEAN power grid, but also in Indonesia, working on nature-based solutions that help prevent flooding in northern Java,” Ambassador Fazey said on the sidelines of the King’s Birthday Party in Jakarta on Wednesday evening. Through economic integration programmes, she noted, the UK is supporting sustainable infrastructure development by sharing skills and expertise, as well as cooperating with ASEAN countries on the implementation of updated trade agreements. She also mentioned that the UK and ASEAN are conducting a geo-economic dialogue to discuss the impact of global economic and trade relations on society, from both a political and economic perspective, along with opportunities for cooperation to address them. Regarding the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, Ambassador Fazey welcomed the deal reached by ASEAN, which is scheduled to be published at the end of the year. “The UK provided some support at the start of the process, helping to train the negotiators as they entered that process, and we look forward to supporting ASEAN and individual member states as they implement the agreement,” she added. On the situation in Myanmar, the ambassador stated, “So, we continue to bilaterally remind the regime in Myanmar about that, and I think we are very much aligned with ASEAN.” The British Embassy in Jakarta hosted the King’s Birthday Party with the theme “UK celebrates Innovation and Five Years as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner” on Wednesday evening. The event was attended by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno, Deputy Governor of East Java Emil Dardak, former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, and Didit Hediprasetyo.