Page 31 - EU_ASEN Relations: Perspectives From Malaysia

ASEAN must work together to ensure the road into the future has to involve

multilateralism. It has to also involve collective bargaining where nobody is
going to get 100 per cent but some parts of the agreement.” He also stated that

he “would like to see EU make its case more forcefully through human
resource development and transfer of technology, to become a positive force

in the growth of ASEAN" (Pitsuwan 2017).

The dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues between ASEAN

and the EU are relevant, even if trade and economic issues are of higher

importance for both sides. The same refers to Malaysian-EU relations. Of
course, the most decisive topics are trade and tariffs, because they are of utmost

importance for both sides. Nonetheless, the dialogue on political and security
issues provides both the regional organisations and the individual member state

countries with more insights on each other and this will surely help to improve

mutual understanding.

References

 ASEAN (2017): ASEAN-EU Plan of Action 2018-2022. Retrieved
from http://asean.org/storage/2017/08/ASEAN-EU-POA-2018-2022-
Final.pdf [accessed 8 November 2017]
 European Commission (2015): Joint Communication to the European
Parliament and the Council– The EU and ASEAN: a Partnership with
a Strategic Purpose. Retrieved from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/ [accessed 8 November 2017]
 European External Action Service (2016): European Union–Malaysia
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement initialled today. Retrieved
from https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-
homepage/5348/european-union-malaysia-partnership-and-
cooperation-agreement-initialled-today_en [accessed 8 November
2017]
 European External Action Service (2017): High Representative
Mogherini co-chairs in Manila EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting.
Retrieved from https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-

25