ASEAN and the UK are set to strengthen their cooperation, as stated during a three-day visit by ASEAN secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn to London from November 1-3. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced that Kim Hourn would engage with senior leaders from government, business and academia to advance ASEAN-UK cooperation.
The discussions centred on priority areas outlined in ASEAN strategies, as detailed in the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific and reflected in the 2022-2026 ASEAN-UK plan of action.
UK minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the dialogue partnership provides boundless opportunities to collaborate with the regional bloc.
“Through the ASEAN-UK plan of action, we are developing programmes of cooperation to advance a wide range of shared goals, from economic reform and financial sector development to maritime sustainability and adapting to climate change. We look forward to further deepening our friendship over the many years to come,” she said.
“The UK’s relationship with ASEAN is central to our long-term commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. As an ASEAN dialogue partner, we are growing our trading links – worth over £46bn [$ 55 billion] a year – and deepening cooperation on areas like cyber security and resilience,” she added.
UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: “I was delighted to further this work with deputy secretary-general Michael Tene in Jakarta in September, and today with secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn in London,” he said.
Kim Hourn’s visit follows UK foreign secretary James Cleverly’s trip to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in July. During the meeting, Cleverly engaged with ASEAN leaders.
The UK was acknowledged as an ASEAN dialogue partner in 2021, recognising the bloc’s central role in fostering cooperation and shaping Indo-Pacific regional order.
On November 1, Kim Hourn held discussions with UK Deputy Prime Minister Dowden to delve into the depth and breadth of the ASEAN-UK partnership. They also explored new opportunities for future cooperation.
The ASEAN secretary-general also participated in the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UK-ABC) private sector roundtable discussion, during which he extended his appreciation to UK-ABC for their contribution in further strengthening the economic ties between business communities in ASEAN and UK.
He discussed ASEAN-UK economic integration programme with Nigel Huddleston, the UK Minister of State for International Trade, according to a November 1 press release from the ASEAN secretariat.
“They also discussed strategies for enhancing economic cooperation in ASEAN’s critical priority areas, including digital transformation, the transition to green practices, resilient supply chains and financial services,” it said.
