Europe and the Indo-Pacific: Partners facing similar challenges

ON SATURDAY (May 13), at our initiative, ministers from the Indo-Pacific and the European Union (EU) and partners will gather in Stockholm. Our meeting is a call for action as much as it is the demonstration of the EU’s continuous commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

We meet as the world grapples with aggression, geopolitical tensions, economic turbulence, and the climate crisis. In these consequential times our partnerships are essential, and never before has the case for cooperation between our regions been so convincing.

The Indo-Pacific region is of strategic importance. The region holds the larger part of the earth’s population and economy. Through its waters passes the major share of world trade. Stability and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific are vital for our prosperity. The fate of climate change and the health of oceans are largely decided there. When fundamental freedoms and openness are threatened, be it in Europe, the Indo-Pacific or elsewhere, the EU is not indifferent.