BRUNEI DARUSSALAM HOSTS THE 25TH ASEAN-EUROPEAN UNION MINISTERIAL MEETING
Brunei Darussalam today hosted the 25th ASEAN-European Union (EU) Ministerial Meeting at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.
The meeting was co-chaired by The Honourable Dato Seri Setia Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd. Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam, as Country Coordinator of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations, and Her Excellency Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission. It was attended by Foreign Ministers and representatives from ASEAN and EU Member States, as well as the ASEAN Secretary-General.
During the meeting, Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between ASEAN and the EU and exchanged views on further strengthening cooperation across the political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars. The meeting also adopted the Joint Ministerial Statement of the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting.
In his opening remarks, The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam highlighted the strong and enduring ASEAN-EU partnership built over nearly five decades, underpinned by shared interests and a steadfast commitment to regional peace, sustainable development, and multilateralism. He underscored the continued expansion of cooperation across all three ASEAN Community pillars, including in the areas of maritime security, cybersecurity, digital economy, green technologies, supply chain resilience, people-to-people linkages, and higher education.
He further highlighted that amid increasing global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the rules-based international order is currently under strain and maintaining the status quo is not sufficient. In this regard, he reaffirmed the importance of the consistent and non-discriminatory application of international law, as ASEAN and the EU have both the responsibility and the capacity to act as anchors of stability and predictability.
The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the situation in Ukraine and developments in the Middle East, involving Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.
The Meeting further looked ahead to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations in 2027, and expressed confidence in the continued strengthening of the longstanding partnership between ASEAN and the EU.
