President Costa to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia and to travel to Abu Dhabi 14:08 The President of the European Council, António Costa, will attend the 47th ASEAN[...]

President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 26 and 27 October to attend the 47^th ASEAN Summit. It will mark the first time the European Union participates in an ASEAN Summit, showcasing the growing importance of EU-ASEAN cooperation. The two partners have a shared interest in enhancing security, open trade and connectivity. Reaffirming the Union's steadfast commitment to effective multilateralism and to the rules-based international order will be a key message in President Costa's interventions.

The partnership between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has gained momentum in recent years. In 2020, the EU and ASEAN elevated their cooperation by becoming formal strategic partners, initiating a new era of closer political and economic collaboration. The first-ever EU-ASEAN leaders' summit, held in Brussels on 14 December 2022, commemorated 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two regions. The EU is ASEAN's third-largest trade partner.

In the margins of the ASEAN Summit, President Costa will hold bilateral meetings with leaders from the wider region.

On 28 October, President Costa will travel to Abu Dhabi where he will meet the President of the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They will exchange about EU-UAE bilateral relations as well as on key international and regional files.