Stronger relations

Europe’s relationship with Southeast Asia is changing before our eyes. When recently in the region, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius put it aptly when he said: “We may have been tempted to do so in the past, but today we can no longer consider a relationship with Asia that is limited to a dialogue with the regional giants of China and India.” He went on to commit his country to a greater presence in the Asia Pacific region “where the world of tomorrow is being constructed.”

I hear very much the same message from British Foreign Secretary William Hague who claimed that “Today Britain is looking East as never before” and committed to set his country “firmly on the path to far closer ties with countries across Asia over the next 20 years.”

While we have all noticed an increase in visits and trade delegations from European Union member states to ASEAN in the last years, I believe the recent spike in European visits to the Philippines must be amongst the most impressive in the region. In the past months this country has received the French Prime Minister, the Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, the German Foreign and Labour Ministers, the British State Secretary for Trade and Investment, the first ever-visit of an Irish Minister as well as a high-powered delegation from the European Parliament. A visit from the Queen of Spain crowned a year that was unparalleled in terms of visits from European dignitaries to the Philippines.

“We have become like-minded peoples” is how European Council President Herman Van Rompuy characterised EU-Philippine relations when he received Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in Brussels last month. He highlighted how contentious issues between the two sides were now so few and far between. Our shared values permit us to co-operate on the pressing issues on the global agenda from migration to the Middle East and the easing of tensions in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea. Indeed as partners with converging interests in the Middle East, Foreign Secretary Del Rosario could brief President Van Rompuy on the conditions being sought to allow Filipino peacekeepers to remain in the Golan Heights where their presence is much appreciated by the EU.

In just over a month, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Cathy Ashton travelled to Asia twice. First she gave a speech at the Shangri La dialogue meeting in Singapore early June and then she attended the meeting of the Asean Regional Forum in Brunei early July. In Singapore High Representative Ashton said “The fact that I am here sends a very strong message of the real interest of the EU in and commitment to Asian security issues.” EU’s commitment to Asian security appears welcomed by the Philippines as Secretary Del Rosario has expressed support for the EU’s inclusion in the East Asia Summit.

Our work to build the structures and links of a stronger EU-Philippine relationship that fully taps its political, economic and cultural potential is far from done, but the prospects have never been better and the potential rewards have never been greater.

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(Guy Ledoux is Ambassador of the European Union.)