Brussels, Belgium
December 13, 2022

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized the pivotal role of public-private partnership (PPP) in strengthening global and regional trade and investments as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States continue to undergo post-pandemic economic recovery and face new challenges amid geopolitical tensions.

“The discussions undertaken during the day will not only bring impetus to both sides to bolster a sustainable trade and investment while opening ways to fast-track the implementation of the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy,” said the President before fellow Leaders from the ASEAN and European Union (EU) during his Closing Keynote at the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit.

He urged ASEAN and EU Member States to maintain its trajectory in terms of improving economic cooperation and integration between the two regional organizations.

As country coordinator for ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations from 2021 to 2024, the Philippines is responsible for advancing ASEAN’s interests with its Dialogue and Strategic Partners while enhancing relations based on mutual respect and equality.

The ASEAN-EU Business Council has a pivotal role in advancing ASEAN’s regional economic integration and post-pandemic economic recovery through its various initiatives and valuable recommendations which has been very useful in terms of prioritizing areas and initiatives for ASEAN’s regional economic integration,” he noted.

“ASEAN has increased its presence in the global states through the efforts on regional economic integration and supply chain resilience,” he added, citing further that the Southeast Asian region continues its strong push for an open, free and fair trade within the bloc and to other regional organizations.

Serving as the Summit’s organizer, the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) is the primary voice for European businesses within the ASEAN Region. The Summit was established to help promote the interests of European businesses operating within ASEAN and to advocate for changes in policies and regulations which would help promote trade and investment between Europe and the ASEAN.

The Summit adopted the theme, ‘Deepening ASEAN-EU Trade: Sustainable Development for All’.

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