On April 27-28, 2026, the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) took place in Bandar Seri Begawan, hosted by the Bruneian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Co-chaired by Bruneian Foreign Minister Dato Erywan Yusof and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Kaja Kallas, the meeting was held in a very cooperative spirit, including many bilateral meetings between Ministers of EU and ASEAN Member States. The German delegation was headed by Florian Hahn, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin.

The Ministers agreed on a 15-page “Joint Ministerial Statement” that emphasizes the importance of jointly holding up a rules-based international order that can rely on the Charter of the United Nations, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other norms of international law. They agrred on various measures to enhance cooperation between the European Union and ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) in areas such as maritime security, energy security, food security, digital security, climate protection, free trade, transport and education. In times of too many geopolitical crises and a blocked Strait of Hormus, ASEAN and the EU have to join forces more than ever to limit the damage of these crises and to jointly strive for a prospering and sustainable world economy.

Borneo Bulletin: ASEAN-EU dialogue focuses on stability, strategic partnership