Forty-three years after the inauguration of the EU-ASEAN dialogue, the two major regional organizations elevated their Dialogue Partnership to an EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. In the spirit of shared values and mutual cooperation, this decision inaugurates a new chapter in the long-standing relationship between the EU and ASEAN.

On 15th November 2020, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), plus five of its FTA members in the Asia-Pacific; China, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. As a result, RCEP’s role will serve to ‘formalise existing trade within the region’; and symbolises an ‘achievement of ASEAN-centered regional economic integration’.

The crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be an inspiring one when considering green policies and sustainability. Many countries have welcomed recovery plans in response to the economic crisis emanating from the pandemic, prioritising economic reform and a more sustainable growth model.