Jakarta (VNA) – Concluding aregion‐to‐region free trade agreement (FTA) is an objective which the EU andASEAN share,Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN Igor Driesmans asserted.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent to Jakarta,Driesmans said the EU and ASEAN are likeminded in our quest foreffective multilateralism, not just in trade and business but in all areas –from climate change to maritime security.

“We need international rules to shield us from the logic that “might makesright,” he noted. 

He said in June this year, the two sides discussed the prospects for theresumption of negotiations on an ambitious and comprehensive FTA. They now havebilateral trade agreements in place between the EU and two ASEAN partners,Singapore and Vietnam, and negotiations are ongoing with Indonesia and others.Those and other possible future bilateral agreements could serve as thebuilding blocks towards deeper region‐to‐region relations.

He went on to say that the EU‐ASEAN Joint Working Group has done serious workin preparing the ground for further bi‐ regional engagement. This work showsthat, while there are many important areas of commonality, there are alsonotable gaps, especially in areas of crucial importance to the EU, such astrade and sustainable development, public procurement and intellectual propertyrights.

“The EU is keen to make progress in these and other areas, and we are ready toengage further,” he stressed.

Congratulating ASEAN on the signing of the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP), the ambassador said it demonstrates members’ commitment toopen, rules‐based trade and strengthens the centrality of ASEAN.  

A more integrated market, doing away with tariffs and non‐tariff barriers willoffer more trade and investment opportunities also for EU companies tradingwith or investing in ASEAN countries, he said, adding that the EU’s approach totrade relations with ASEAN rests on two pillars, bilateral FTAs with members,as building blocks for a region‐to‐region FTA.

“This is exactly what came to conclusion of the regional comprehensiveagreement: ASEAN 1 bilateral FTAs now consolidated into the single, overarchingRCEP. In this respect, RCEP is a reminder of ASEAN’s centrality in the widerregion and the importance of region‐to‐region links,” he stated./.