Wahyu Dwi Anggoro
Throughout his visit, the UK reaffirmed to the Secretary-General its commitment to working withASEAN partners in support of the region’s peace, stability and economic growth, and its respect for ASEAN Centrality as the underlying principle for promoting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and ASEAN-led mechanisms as platforms for cooperation.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN and Deputy Prime Minister of the UK Oliver Dowden discussed global challenges such as cyber security and highlighted a mutual ambition for further collaboration.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN and Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan discussed the UK’s support for maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia. They discussed the new ASEAN-UK Maritime Programme in support of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN Maritime Outlook. This new capacity-building programme will boost regional resilience and support ASEAN Member States to respond to maritime cooperation challenges.
Minister Trevelyan raised the UK’s strong interest in engaging with ASEAN’s wider regional defence and security architecture, as demonstrated by its applications to join the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.
The visit also highlighted the deep economic ties between the UK and ASEAN, a trading relationship worth £47.5 billion. The Secretary-General of ASEAN engaged with senior UK business leaders, including at a UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) roundtable, and at a discussion with senior financial services leaders in the City of London.
