EU to inject new life into relations with ASEAN, possible free trade

EU to inject new life into relations with ASEAN, possible free trade

Agence France-Presse, Brussels

The European Commission on Wednesday presented a strategy that
aims to breathe new life into muted relations between the
European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), possibly leading to a free trade agreement (FTA).

After strong growth by Southeast Asia's economic tigers
followed by several years of economic crisis, the relations
between the EU and the region "has fallen below its potential,"
an EU official said.

In a document addressed to EU states entitled "A new
partnership with Southeast Asia", the Commission said: "The EU
and ASEAN have a strong interest in reinforcing their economic
ties."

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Only 4.3 percent of EU exports go to ASEAN countries while
imports from Southeast Asia amount to 6.4 percent of goods
entering the 15-member European body.

Through the new action plan, named TREATI for Trans-regional
EU-ASEAN trade initiative, the two bodies would introduce
measures to boost trade and financial flows that would ease
access to and investment in each other's markets.

"TREATI will thus permit serious consideration to be given to
entering into a free trade agreement following a successful
outcome of the current round of (WTO-led) multilateral trade
negotiations," the EU's executive arm said.

The partnership could also lead to new measures to fight
terrorism and other forms of crimes.

"The EU is prepared to assist countries in taking measures
against international terrorism without prejudice to the respect
by the countries concerned of basic human rights principles and
peaceful political opposition.

"Issues of migration, trafficking in human beings, money
laundering, piracy, organized crime and drugs need to be
incorporated systematically into our regional and bilateral
dialogues with Southeast Asia," the Commission said.

The body added that it remained deeply concerned about the
political situation in Myanmar and the continued detention of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Myanmar is not part of the European Commission-ASEAN
Cooperation Agreement and the Commission cannot agree to include
Myanmar in this agreement before a solution to the political
situation has been found," the Commission warned.