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Minister Zbigniew Rau attends EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting

01.12.2020

“Multilateral cooperation aimed at a recovery from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic should be the guiding principle of the exit strategies,” said Minister Zbigniew Rau in his address at the 23rd EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting, which was held as videoconference on 1 December 2020.

2020.12.01 Warszawa . Minister Zbigniew Rau . Wideokonferencja UE - ASEAN . Fot. Tymon Markowski / MSZ

During the meeting on Tuesday, the head of Polish diplomacy congratulated our partners from the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) on the recent signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. “Currently, one of our main goals should be further liberalization of trade between the EU and ASEAN,” said Minister Rau.

In his speech, the top Polish diplomat recalled Poland’s assets as a trade partner and an attractive destination for foreign investments. He highlighted our political and economic stability, business-friendly atmosphere and a wide export offer of Polish companies. He also noted that Poland has already seen the benefits of the EU’s Free Trade Agreements with Singapore and Vietnam. Once the agreement with Vietnam became effective on 1 August 2020, we saw a 30 percent increase in trade volume between the two countries. Polish export to Singapore, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, rose by 60 percent year-to-year in the first half of 2020.

The meeting was co-chaired by  Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borell. During the meeting, the ministers of the 27 EU member states and 10 ASEAN countries decided to take their bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership. Thanks to a closer cooperation in such areas as trade, digital economy, health, and scientific exchange, the EU and the ASEAN will be able to overcome the political, economic and social impact of the pandemic more effectively.  A declaration on closer cooperation in the promotion of multifaceted links between Asia and Europe and the related strategic investments was adopted during the meeting.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in Bangkok in 1967. Currently, there are 10 member states of South-east Asia (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia). Collectively, the ASEAN countries are Poland’s second largest Asian market, after China. Trade with these countries topped USD 7 bn for the first nine months of 2020 (and reached USD 8.9 bn in 2019).

 

MFA Press Office

Photo: Tymon Markowski / MFA

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