Page 25 - EU_ASEN Relations: Perspectives From Malaysia

Southeast Asia (TAC), which underlines the EU's political and security

engagement with ASEAN.

The ASEAN-EU Plan of Action, designed to define the cooperation between

2018 and 2022, was signed by representatives of both regional organisations
in August 2017. It replaced the Bandar Seri Begawan Plan of Action that was

valid from 2013 to 2017. The action plan lines out the most important issues
of the interregional cooperation between the EU and ASEAN for the

subsequent years. It intends to enhance the strategic dialogue between the two

regional organisations and deepen political and security cooperation.

The EU reiterated its support for ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional

architecture in East Asia. Additionally, the EU offered to deepen the
cooperation with ASEAN in defence and security matters such as in the areas

of maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping
operations, military medicine, and counter-terrorism. To implement the latter,

both sides agreed to review the implementation of the ASEAN-EU Work Plan
to Combat Terrorism and Transnational Crime (2014–2017). The EU also

agreed to facilitate the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Securing

Communities against Illicit Drugs (2016–2025). Regarding this issue, the EU
has already clashed heavily with Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and 2017. The

outspoken president of the Philippines has repeatedly threatened to expel all

EU member states’ ambassadors after the European Parliament issued a
resolution expressing concern over the “extraordinarily high numbers killed

during police operations” in the drug war waged in the Philippines.

Another issue of mutual cooperation in the ASEAN-EU Plan of Action is the
strategy to enhance maritime security cooperation and share knowledge and

expertise in the sustainable joint management of marine resources. A High

Level Dialogue on Maritime Security Cooperation has been taking place

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