Europe and the countries of the Indo-Pacific face many common challenges as the geopolitical landscape in our regions undergoes rapid and noticeable change. The Ministerial Forum in Brussels comes at just the right time to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the Indo-Pacific. As Europeans, we enjoy close ties with the ASEAN countries in particular and would like to enhance our partnership with them.

We and the Indo-Pacific countries are natural partners when it comes to our efforts to uphold the international order – on the basis of international law and cooperation between all states in a spirit of equality. A strong international order is, for us, a guarantor of security and prosperity – in Europe, the Indo-Pacific and worldwide.

What happens in Europe is just as important to Indo-Pacific countries as what is happening in their region – and vice versa: when Putin lets North Korean soldiers fight against Ukraine, that has a direct impact on Europe’s security. Any unchecked rivalry between major powers has to be of concern to us, for it affects our global interests and is to our detriment. Forty percent of world trade passes through the South China Sea. For that reason, Germany, too, is working to foster peace and security in the region, for example by monitoring sanctions and maintaining a naval presence.

The fact that I was in the region several times during the first few months after I took up office, shows how important close cooperation with trusted partners is to us. In addition to security, we particularly want to strengthen our economic relations and trade. This means more than gaining access to new markets or production sites. We are consciously seeking to reduce our dependencies by broadening our supply chains, for example as regards critical raw materials. We want to cooperate more closely in key technological fields and to remain an attractive continent for skilled immigration. On all these issues, we have a lot to offer each other as drivers of innovation.

The EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum gives us the opportunity to provide important impetus in the next few days and to expand our partnerships in our mutual interest.