European Union to host EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum

Stockholm, 10 May 2023 (TDI): The European Union (EU) will host the EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum in Sweden, which is set to be the most significant foreign policy meeting during the Swedish Presidency.

The event will be co-hosted by Tobias Billstrom, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, and Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Over 60 countries and several international organizations will participate in the forum to strengthen the EU’s cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.

The platform allows the EU to engage with partners in the Indo-Pacific region on various issues, including economic development, trade, security, and human rights.

The EU has a strategic interest in the Indo-Pacific region, home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, and is a critical player in global affairs.

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The meeting will gather collectively around 60 ministers of foreign affairs from the Indo-Pacific area and the EU, as well as representatives of Indo-Pacific regional organisations and other partners, with the goal of strengthening the EU’s partnership with the Indian Ocean and Pacific region.

The EU has also recognized the region’s strategic importance and potential for increased cooperation in sustainable development, digitalization, and climate change.

The forum will allow the EU to discuss its vision for the Indo-Pacific region and its commitment to working with regional partners to achieve common goals.

It will also enable the EU to address maritime security, non-proliferation, and regional stability challenges.

Overall, the EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum is an essential platform for the EU to strengthen its engagement with partners in the Indo-Pacific region and to advance its foreign policy objectives.

The meeting is expected to produce a joint statement outlining the shared vision and goals of the EU and its partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

Cooperation between the EU and the Indo-Pacific area has significant strategic and economic significance.

Growing tensions are placing pressure on trade, technology, foreign, and security policy, highlighting the need for Sweden and the EU to strengthen alliances and political discussions with the region.

The region around the Indian and Pacific Oceans contributes for two-thirds of world growth and, along with the EU, accounts for 70% of global commerce.

The meeting’s discussions will centre on common concerns in security, commerce, global value chains, digitisation, the green transition, and energy security.