EU pledges $10bn investment in Southeast Asia during ASEAN summit

Brussels hosts the leaders of Southeast Asian countries in the face of the Ukraine war and challenges from China.The EU has promised billions of dollars of investment in Southeast Asia, as leaders looked to bolster ties at a summit in the face of the Ukraine war and challenges from China.The European Union hosted its first full summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brussels on Wednesday.

“There might be many, many miles that divide us, but there are much more values that unite us,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the gathered leaders.

But different opinions about Russia’s war in Ukraine and concerns about tensions with China over a key shipping route for global trade loomed over the meeting.

The EU has been on a diplomatic push to galvanise a global front against Moscow as its invasion has sent economic and political shock waves around the world.ASEAN’s 10 nations – nine of which were represented, after Myanmar’s coup leaders were not invited – have been divided in their response to the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.

Singapore has imposed some sanctions on Russia, while Vietnam and Laos, which have close military ties to Moscow, have remained more neutral.Along with Thailand, they abstained from a United Nations vote in October condemning Russia’s attempted annexation of regions of Ukraine seized since February.

The diverging views led to intense wrangling over a final declaration from the summit.The European Union was keen for a statement to describe the war in Ukraine as an act of aggression by Russia.The final wording echoed that agreed by the leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations at a meeting chaired by Indonesia last month. Both said that “most members” condemned the war and recognised the human suffering it was causing.

“There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions,” the EU-ASEAN statement said. “We continue to reaffirm, as for all nations, the need to respect the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

While Europe pressed for a tougher response to Russia, another global giant figured prominently at the summit.

China is ASEAN’s biggest trade partner, but its expansive claims over the South China Sea have created tensions with countries in Southeast Asia that also claim part of the key waterway including the Philippines and Vietnam, and sparked fears in Europe over the potential risk to trade.The EU is eager to pitch itself as a reliable partner for the region’s dynamic economies amid the growing rivalry between Beijing and Washington. (Al Jazeera)