Southeast Asia

The Indo-Pacific is undergoing rapid change, and as home to more than 50% of the world’s population, it is becoming a key geo-strategic region. Two thirds of the world’s container trade passes through the Indo-Pacific and its sea lanes are important routes for trade and energy supplies. The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was adopted in September 2021 to increase the EU’s engagement and build partnerships to reinforce the rules-based international order and address global challenges. The Union is adapting its current instruments to support the EU’s strategic autonomy. Its Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, formally approved by the Council in March 2022, promotes an open and rules-based regional security architecture, including secure maritime routes, capacity-building and an enhanced naval presence in the Indo-Pacific.The EU is forging closer ties with Southeast Asian countries and is promoting regional integration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The region has geo-strategic concerns, such as the South China Sea dispute and the Taiwan issue, and environmental concerns, especially in the Mekong sub-region. The EU is a strong economic player in Southeast Asia and a major development aid donor, working to foster institution-building, democracy, good governance and human rights. The EU has mobilised a package of over EUR 800 million to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the region and to mitigate its socio-economic impact.