Asean meetings a chance to deepen ties with Europe

THIS past weekend's Asean meetings in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi are vital for this region. But they are also very important for the ties between Asean's 10 countries and the 28 countries of the European Union (EU).

The relationship between our regions is an essential one.

The EU is still today the world's largest economy. But the rise of Asia is the most important economic and political story of our time. And the countries of Asean are playing a central part in that rise.

As a result, Asean, taken together, is the EU's third-largest trading partner outside Europe. And, if we exclude Asean's internal trade, the EU is this region's second-largest partner, after China, but before Ja…