Phnom Penh, 3 August 2022 (TDI): The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell Fontelles, discussed the EU’s perspective on the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and Cambodia-EU relations ahead of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in an exclusive interview given to the Phnom Penh Post; a daily English-language newspaper published in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
As strategic partners, we need to defend UN Charta and work together to tackle climate change and other pressing global issues.
My interview with @phnompenhpost ahead of traveling to EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and @ASEAN Regional Forum in Cambodia:https://t.co/xnOJEjGgTR
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 2, 2022
The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
Cambodia is hosting the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) this week. Top officials from the US, China, EU and Russia, and other countries in the region will meet face-to-face with their counterparts on the sidelines.
This week’s meetings come amid a host of regional and global crises testing the effectiveness of the Southeast Asian bloc. This includes the increasing climate change, the Russia-Ukraine war, and growing tensions in Myanmar and Taiwan.
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EU on AMM and ARF ahead
The EU High Representative Josep Borrell will visit Cambodia for the annual Ministerial Meeting between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He will also attend the ARF and the AMM and hold several bilateral meetings.
During his visit, the EU High Representative will meet Cambodia’s Prime Minister, Hun Sen. He will also meet the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Prak Sokhonn, who is also the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.
The bilateral discussions will focus on post-pandemic recovery, Russia’s war against Ukraine and its global implications, regional cooperation, and the worrying developments in Myanmar. It will also work to deepen EU relations with Cambodia.
High Representative Borrell will also co-chair the annual EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting with the Philippines. The EU and ASEAN will adopt a new EU-ASEAN Plan of Action at this meeting.
This will set out a wide range of areas for deeper cooperation over the next five years (2023-2027). It will include pandemic recovery, trade, rules-based and sustainable connectivity, climate change, research, and security.
