In Brief with H.E. Sujiro Seam EU Ambassador to ASEAN
20 March 2024
9DASHLINE recently had the opportunity to speak with H.E. Sujiro Seam, the European Union’s Ambassador to ASEAN
The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) represent a powerful partnership with global significance. ASEAN, an important strategic player in the Indo-Pacific amid the China-US rivalry offers the EU a crucial partner for promoting regional stability and economic cooperation. This discussion dives into the key aspects of this relationship, exploring areas of cooperation, shared challenges, and the future direction of EU-ASEAN ties.
9DL: Having first served as a French ambassador, and later as EU ambassador to the Pacific, you became the Union’s representative to ASEAN in September last year. How do you view ASEAN’s position and role in the Indo-Pacific today?
SS: Upon my arrival in Jakarta in early September 2024, Indonesia hosted the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related events, including the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum, where the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Pacific Islands Forum were also invited. I therefore had the pleasure of meeting in Jakarta the long-time friends I made as EU ambassador for the Pacific in my new role as the EU ambassador to ASEAN. More importantly, this underscores the ASEAN’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific — a region at the crossroads of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
To use a sailing parallel, ASEAN is like a well-built yacht. It serves as the wider region’s sail, effectively harnessing the region’s economic growth. It is also similar to the sail as ASEAN’s location — the mast if you will — is at the centre of this impressive Indo-Pacific vessel and hence plays a key, indispensable role. It is the anchor because it provides an impressive regional framework and the deck, enabling partners from near and far to engage. Within the wider Indo-Pacific region, ASEAN is steering with the concept of ASEAN centrality and yet affording ample room for the multiple and varied passengers to engage. To extend the parallel slightly further, the regional and international seas are not always calm, but this is precisely why we need a trusted and reliable partner like ASEAN to help us navigate within the wider region that is of undoubted geostrategic importance.
9DL: What are the EU’s key strategic interests in Southeast Asia as part of its wider Indo-Pacific strategy? Is ASEAN centrality guiding the EU’s Indo-Pacific turn, and are there areas where the EU’s interests may diverge from the US
SS: The crux of the EU’s engagement with ASEAN boils down to two key interlinked interests that have served the people of Europe and Southeast Asia well over the past decades: peace and prosperity. As the two most successful examples of regional organisations in the world, the EU and ASEAN have a unique understanding of the fruits of regional integration and the importance of multilateralism. These very concepts have brought our peoples together in Europe and Southeast Asia and are also behind the special bond that exists between the EU and ASEAN.
Peace and prosperity are the common denominators of the EU’s strategic approach when it comes to ASEAN, be it in its Indo-Pacific Strategy, the 2022 EU-ASEAN Joint Leaders’ Statement, the 2023-2027 EU-ASEAN Plan of Action, or the recent 24th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Joint Statement. This logic guides the EU’s thinking and, more importantly, its actions, as underlined by robust trade links, an array of regular policy dialogues, and an impressive cooperation portfolio spearheaded by the Green Team Europe Initiative and the Team Europe Initiative on Sustainable Connectivity. In the same vein, the EU is for ASEAN a Strategic Partner that delivers and fulfils its promises: in December 2022, Team Europe mobilised EUR 10 billion for Southeast Asia under the Global Gateway initiative for the 2023-2027 period and projects worth EUR 4.2 billion are already underway.
The cross participation of the EU in the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum and of ASEAN in the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, hosted in Brussels on the same day as the EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting of 2 February 2024, show the EU and ASEAN’s mutual interest in the Indo-Pacific. Against the background of the major power struggle in Southeast Asia, the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s State of Southeast Asia survey indicates that the EU continues to appear as ASEAN’s best bet to ensure its ability to choose what it considers the best option.
Finally, I would refrain from qualifying other Indo-Pacific strategies, but simply underline that the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, where the keyword is cooperation, contains concrete entry points for cooperation with any like-minded third party across its seven priorities: prosperity, green transition, oceans, connectivity, digital, peace and security, and human development.
9DL: ASEAN is the EU's third largest trading partner outside Europe (after China and the US). What steps can the EU and ASEAN take to further deepen and make the trade relationship more resilient, considering global economic uncertainties and diversification efforts?
SS: The EU has concluded Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with two ASEAN member states — Singapore and Vietnam — while negotiations are ongoing with Indonesia and Thailand. The EU, Malaysia, and the Philippines are also exploring the possible relaunch of bilateral FTA negotiations. These ambitious, bilateral agreements will serve as building blocks for a future region-to-region agreement.
While a region-to-region FTA is a shared long-term objective, EU and ASEAN leaders agreed to focus on more promising, sector-specific avenues for cooperation in the short- to medium-term at the 45th Anniversary Commemorative Summit on 14 December 2022, until the conditions are right for resuming block-to-block negotiations. Three areas for sectoral cooperation have been identified: digital trade, green technologies and green services, and resilient supply chains. The EU-ASEAN Joint Working Group for Trade and Investment met in June 2023 to advance cooperation in these three areas. The next meeting of the Joint Working Group is scheduled to take place in mid-March 2024.
9DL: How does the EU assess the effectiveness of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus in addressing the crisis in Myanmar, and what measures could be taken to strengthen its implementation? Given the steadily deteriorating situation in the country, is the EU taking any concrete steps to ensure aid reaches those in need, and how can pressure be exerted on the military to lift restrictions?
SS: The EU has repeatedly confirmed its support for ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and firmly believes that the principles and actions it outlines are prerequisites for alleviating the extremely difficult situation of Myanmar’s people, assuring that their will is respected, and returning the country to the path of democracy. It is for this reason that since the coup, the EU has worked closely with ASEAN in general and its Chairs in particular and appointed its own Special Envoy for Myanmar, who has been playing a crucial role in this endeavour.
The statement by Josep Borrell Fontelles, the High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission for Foreign and Security Policy on 1 February 2024 marking the third anniversary of the military coup, reaffirmed the EU's position on Myanmar. The EU reiterated its condemnation of the coup and its aftermath in the strongest possible terms, particularly the grave violation of basic human rights, forced displacements, and the dire humanitarian situation. The EU reiterated its call for increased international preventive action, including an arms embargo, and stands ready to adopt further restrictive measures against those responsible for the serious human rights violations taking place in the country, and for undermining democracy and the rule of law.
The EU provided EUR 33 million in 2023 and approved EUR 19.2 million for initial humanitarian allocation in 2024. This is the highest initial allocation for Myanmar since the EU began providing humanitarian assistance to the country, compared to the initial allocation of EUR 17.3 million last year.
9DL: ASEAN countries face the challenge of mitigating and adapting to climate change while continuing to pursue economic development. How can the EU work with ASEAN to achieve climate goals without hindering development? And what joint initiatives are being developed to address climate challenges and promote sustainable development in Southeast Asia?
SS: 2023 was the hottest year on record. Climate impacts continue to disrupt our economies and affect the lives of millions of people. Yet, national commitments and actions are not up to the challenge. The 1.5°C target we agreed on in Paris is worryingly close.
Concerning the challenge of mitigating and adapting to climate change, the next decade is critical: the world needs to speed up its irreversible economic transition before it is too late. As a priority, this means a thorough transformation of energy systems, moving away from fossil fuels, phasing down unabated coal, reducing energy consumption, and boosting the use of renewables. It also means gearing up our systems to deal with climate change impacts. Planning for a hotter world means mainstreaming resilience to climate risk across all sectors of the economy and livelihoods.
It is more important than ever to put climate change at the forefront of the political agenda and show that green investment can contribute to economic growth as well. As a frontrunner, the EU is committed to explaining this logic and investing in green technology to improve livelihoods. The green transition brings along important opportunities for growth and competitiveness. Acting today can pave the way for trillions in new investments, new jobs, innovation, and better energy security at cheaper prices. The green economy is becoming the new normal, with more producers growing to be more competitive as they transform the way they produce, and customers increasingly demanding sustainable products: we all need to step up our game, or we will risk missing our chances.
The EU and ASEAN have a long-standing cooperation on climate, as demonstrated by the high-level dialogues and the EU’s contributions to the Just Energy Transitions Partnerships with Indonesia and Vietnam. The EU is keen to reinforce exchanges in areas where cooperation and the regional dimension bring value, including fostering the transition to renewables through a better regional interconnection, creating stronger incentives to reduce emissions through developing carbon pricing tools and reinforcing the capacity to plan for resilience across sectors including through developing an ASEAN climate risk assessment.
Climate adaptation means taking action to prepare for and adjust to both the current effects of climate change and the predicted impacts in the future. As the climate heats up, it brings all kinds of risks. From more frequent extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, and floods, to coastal erosion from rising sea levels, the consequences affect everyone. Large parts of the ASEAN region are highly vulnerable to climate change effects, and the EU is keen to strengthen its already strong cooperation with ASEAN on marine and community resilience. The EU Global Gateway initiative contributes to balancing environmental conservation, economic growth, and climate resilience, benefiting both nature and local communities, and guiding towards a sustainable and climate-adapted ocean future.
9DL: How does the EU approach the complex issue of human rights in Southeast Asia? And how can the EU and ASEAN collaborate on enhancing democracy in the region?
SS: The EU continues to engage with ASEAN, but also individual ASEAN Member States, in regular human rights dialogues. This engagement involves not only government representatives, but also civil society organisations, human rights defenders, and other stakeholders in the region and beyond.
The EU is the only ASEAN Dialogue Partner with a regular human rights dialogue with ASEAN. The fifth round of the Policy Dialogue on Human Rights took place in Brussels on 3 October 2023. It was preceded by the 3rd Civil Society Forum, and followed by a study visit to the Council of Europe and European Parliament in Strasbourg, which was very beneficial for both parties as it built trust and enhanced engagement. It also contributed to an improved understanding of the centrality of human and fundamental rights for the EU as well as the ASEAN’s perspective on, and the challenges it faces, in promoting and protecting human rights. The dialogue is chaired by the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, who also conducts bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Dialogue to contribute to open dialogue and exchanges even on sensitive issues for both sides.
Two concrete deliverables of the latest human rights dialogues were also two follow-up events directly engaging the ASEAN member states on joint priority areas for the EU and ASEAN: the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the Regional Consultation on Business and Human Rights, Environment, and Climate Change in ASEAN organised in Kuala Lumpur in May 2023, and the AICHR-EU Dialogue on Disinformation and Misinformation, which took place in Singapore in January 2024.
The EU is also supporting AICHR’s capacity building through a new project with the Danish Institute on Human Rights. The project aims to help increase cooperation between AICHR and the EU through training, regional dialogues, awareness raising, exchange of best practices, and other capacity-building initiatives to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms within ASEAN.
As strategic partners, both the EU and ASEAN committed in the ASEAN-EU Plan of Action (2023-2027) to continue to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with relevant international and regional human rights instruments, to which all ASEAN and EU Member States are parties. The regular dialogue aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation through sharing experience, knowledge, best practices and other capacity-building initiatives to promote and support efforts in strengthening democracy, good governance, and rule of law and judiciary systems.
9DL: The EU and ASEAN upgraded the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership in 2020. What is your vision for the future of the EU-ASEAN partnership in light of a geopolitically complex and multipolar Indo-Pacific?
SS: On 14 December 2022, EU and ASEAN Leaders celebrated 45 years of dialogue partnership in a commemorative summit in Brussels, where they endorsed a clear vision in a Joint Leaders Statement and a roadmap in a Plan of Action for 2023-2027. The 24th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting of 2 February 2024 allowed the EU and ASEAN Foreign Ministers to follow up on the commemorative summit and prepare for the next steps of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.
Moving forward, I intend to focus on the shared EU and ASEAN aspirations to increase engagement at the highest level and consolidate the EU’s status as a strategic partner that delivers on its commitments across the three ASEAN pillars of political and security, economic, and socio-cultural issues.
I am optimistic because, despite the geopolitically complex and multipolar Indo-Pacific — or the global stage for that matter — the 2022 Joint Leaders Statement and the more recent EU-ASEAN Ministerial Joint Statement shows that both parties' desire to work together is stronger than their differences.
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