EU, ASEAN fail to jointly condemn Russia's war in Ukraine

The European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met on Wednesday to discuss deepening economic ties but could not reach a joint agreement to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the joint EU-ASEAN statement on the invasion only said "most members" strongly condemned the war in Ukraine while asserting "the need to respect the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

The one-day summit in Brussels came at a time when the conflict in Ukraine has majorly impacted the global economy. Disruptions to Russian energy supplies following the invasion of Ukraine in February have had an adverse impact on the economy and inflation, raising prices for everything from food to heating.

Divided response on Ukraine war

While the EU has been pushing for a common front against Russia, the ASEAN countries have been divided in their response to the war.

Vietnam and Laos, which have strong military links to Moscow, have remained impartial, while Singapore has complied with Western sanctions against Russia.

In an October United Nations vote denouncing Russia's attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory, both Vietnam and Laos abstained along with Thailand.

Heads of nine of the 10 ASEAN countries and leaders of 27 EU nations joined the summit, which also commemorated 45 years of diplomatic relations. Due to the military junta's exclusion, Myanmar was not represented at the summit.

Increase investment in southeast Asia

The first full EU-ASEAN summit between the third largest trading partners of each other saw the EU vow billions of dollars of investment in southeast Asia.

"We have to make sure that we have a strong position in our relationship with ASEAN," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. "We are talking about worldwide supply chains. We are talking about growth potential."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a 10 billion euros ($10.65 billion) commitment to 2027 for investment in infrastructure in ASEAN countries.

Flagged under the EU's "Global Gateway" program, it will primarily focus on green projects and connectivity.

Commerce, the green and digital transformations, and health were among the discussed areas of collaboration as both sides aimed to strengthen economic ties through more trade.

"In the global world that we are living in today, it is very important that we are connected to like-minded countries," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.

At the same time, tailored agreements with individual ASEAN countries replaced an EU attempt more than 10 years ago for a free trade agreement with the bloc as a whole.

South China sea, Myanmar situation discussed

Tensions with China over a crucial maritime route for international trade were another topic that was discussed by both parties.

The Philippines, an ASEAN member, and China have been at loggerheads over competing claims to the disputed South China Sea.

However, China continues to be ASEAN's largest trading partner, and many in the region are wary of cutting ties with their powerful neighbor.

The release of political detainees and a stop to the violence in Myanmar were also demanded in the joint statement. Additionally, it also expressed "grave concern" about instability in the Korean peninsula.

ss/sms (dpa, AP, Reuters, AFP)