General Considerations

Built on a think-tank system, IRSEA's aim is to bring its contribution for promoting the values of Europe in Asia and those of Asia in Europe, being a strong believer in the reciprocal benefits of a consolidated relation between the two continents. Since its founding, IRSEA has been working for a more robust interaction between Europe and Asia, knowing that the most important factor to create and develop friendly relations it is the reciprocal knowledge of each other. Our FOCUS-ASIA section is meant to promote this very purpose, particularly throughout the young generation.

Regional Developments - South-East Asia

As far as Southeast Asia is concerned, one could identify several important developments. The first reference goes to the process of regional integration, launched in 2015, known as ASEAN COMMUNITY, which is based on three pillars: political and security, economic and social and cultural, under the motto – one vision, one identity, one community. It represents a great achievement for ASEAN as regional organization of economic cooperation. In fact, ASEAN has become the driving force in the region's political, strategic, economic, social and cultural architecture as a strong chain of dialogue has been established between its partners.

In the Chairman’s Statement of the 32^nd ASEAN Summit, held in Singapore, on April 29 2018 it is stated: “We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN Centrality and unity in our Community-building efforts and engagement of external partners. We welcomed initiatives that reinforce an ASEAN-centric regional architecture that is open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based. These initiatives will build upon ASEAN-led mechanisms including the ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three (APT), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). We look forward to further discussion on recent initiatives, including the Indo-Pacific concept” (full statement available here).

The rapprochement between ASEAN and the EU is a very significant development with a long and standing substance, as it has served as the basis for the creation of Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), in 1996, which to this day remains the main platform for dialogue between the two continents.

                                                                                                                   PRESIDENT OF IRSEA

                                                                                                 Former Ambassador Gheorghe SAVUICA

ABOUT ASEAN 

• ASEAN: THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations

• ASEAN Charter

• The segnificance of the ASEAN Charter

• The future of Asia in the 21st century and the role of ASEAN

• At 40, ASEAN Journey to a Community Begins

• Asean the Way I see it

• ASEAN at its 50th Anniversary

• ASEAN - in trecut si viitor

ASEAN IN MEDIA

• Viza comuna pentru țările din Asia de Sud-Est, 26.01.2016

• Vivian Balakrishnan sets out Singapore's priorities as 2018 Asean chair - Charissa Yong, 5 December 2017

• Deepening connectivity within Asean - Wee Ee Cheong, 4 December 2017

• Philippines Hands Over CPR Chairmanship to Singapore - 8 December 2017

• ASEAN utilises ICT to enhance disasters management - 7 December 2017

• ASEAN SG stresses role of women to prevent violent extremism - 7 December 2017

• ASEAN, UN to promote gender equality through HeForShe campaign - 6 December 2017

• ASEAN Army Ties in the Spotlight in Singapore - Prashanth Parameswaran, 28 November 2017

• Revisiting ASEAN-India Relations - Suyash Desai, 18 November 2017

• World leaders in Manila: Key events at ASEAN summit - Audrey Morallo, 16 November 2017

• Daily Traveller, Viză comună pentru țările din Asia de Sud-Est, 26.01.2016

• Asean Secretariat News, ASEAN civil service agencies work together to achieve Vision 2025 – 4.11.2017

•  ASEAN Digital Economy: A New Pillar? by Phidel Marion G. Vineles

ROMÂNIA – ASEAN

• Uniunea Europeană își propune dezvoltarea unui Parteneriat strategic cu Asia de Sud-Est

• Interviu cu ministrul afacerilor externe, Teodor Meleşcanu, pentru “Agenda Globală”, RRA

• Participarea ministrului Titus Corlăţean la a XI-a reuniune ministerială Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) - a doua zi

• Lazăr Comănescu la reuniunea ministerială UE – ASEAN

• Participarea secretarului de stat Bogdan Aurescu la Reuniunea ministerială UE - ASEAN

• Participarea ministrului afacerilor externe al României, Lazăr Comănescu, la cea de-a 21-a reuniune ministerială UE-ASEAN

• Întrevederi bilaterale ale ministrului afacerilor externe, Lazăr Comănescu, cu prilejul celei de-a 21-a reuniuni ministeriale UE-ASEAN

• Participarea secretarului de stat pentru afaceri bilaterale globale, Monica Gheorghiță, la evenimentul dedicat aniversării a 50 de ani de la înființarea Asociaţiei Naţiunilor din Asia de Sud-Est (ASEAN)

• Participarea secretarului de stat Alexandru Victor Micula la evenimentul „ASEAN DAY FESTIVAL”

• Participarea ministrului afacerilor externe, Titus Corlăţean, la cea de-a 20-a Reuniune Ministerială UE-ASEAN

• Participarea secretarului de stat Bogdan Aurescu la reuniunea ministerială UE-ASEAN

• Participarea secretatului de stat pentru afaceri globale Doru Costea la reuniunea ministerială UE-ASEAN

• Întrevederea secretarului de stat Doru Costea cu secretarul general al Asociaţiei Naţiunilor din Asia de Sud Est

ASEAN – EUROPEAN UNION

       ASEAN- European Union Dialogue Relations

• Overview

• ASEAN-EU Plan of Action (2018-2022)

• Bandar Seri Begawan Plan of Action to Strengthen the ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership (2013-2017)

• Plan of Action to Implement the Nuremberg Declaration on an EU-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership (2007-2012)

• ASEAN, EU launch flagship programmes on policy dialogue and economic integration

• 2nd ASEAN-EU Policy Dialogue on Human Rights - 29 November 2017

• Phidel Vineles, Managing Labour Mobility: Stronger ASEAN Integration?, 14 March 2018

• http://asean.org/asean/external-relations/european-union/

• Relaţiile UE-ASEAN – interviu cu ministrul afacerilor externe, Teodor Meleşcanu, pentru “Agenda Globală”, Radio România Actualităţi

• Enhancing human rights protection and promoting democracy

• Bridging the Eu and ASEAN 40 years of cooperation and prosperity

ASEAN COMMUNITY

• The Asean community – Emerging region in the global community of nations

• Comunistatea Asean- Regiune emergenta in comunitatea globala a natiunilor

• 2010 - The year for ASEAN Free Trade Arias (FTAs), a catalyst for the ASEAN Community by 2015

• Is Romania ready for Asean community?