Published
09/20/2024, 07:23The development of dialogue between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was one of the key topics of the Russia-ASEAN Economic Ministers' consultations held on September 19 in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) was represented by Mikael Belluyan, Director of the Integration Development Department. He noted that “the institutional framework for cooperation between the EAEU and ASEAN is well developed and allows conducting a systematic dialogue between the two associations and full-fledged exchange of integration experience.
The ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Horn and the ASEAN Economic Ministers underlined the successful implementation of the EEC-ASEAN Cooperation Program this year and welcomed the start of the joint work on a new program document for the term after 2025.
The successful organization of the EAEU Days in November 2023 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta (Republic of Indonesia) was also noted. The event attracted the high attention of official, business and expert circles of ASEAN and EAEU states.
The Parties positively assessed the development of dialogue on digitalization and confirmed plans to hold the second stage of the seminar “Digital Transformation in the EAEU and ASEAN” in 2025 in Manila with a focus on reviewing the best integration practices of the two regions. As part of the cooperation program implementation, it was agreed to hold a series of sectoral seminars in the format of videoconferences in 2024 - early 2025.
ASEAN representatives highlighted the high perspectives of partnership with the EAEU in agro-industrial complex, manufacturing, renewable energy, digitalization, innovative development and business dialogue. Mikael Belluyan noted that the high intensity of interaction between the EAEU and ASEAN allows discussion of new promising formats of cooperation.
"We see high potential in applying to the EAEU the mechanisms, which the ASEAN applies in interaction with its dialogue partners. In particular, such a benchmark is enshrined in the main directions of the EAEU's international activities, annually approved by the heads of state of the Union,” he added.
Thus, the parties confirmed the positive dynamics in the development of cooperation and outlined ways for further interaction, which inspires optimism for future projects and initiatives.
