The EU's new Indo-Pacific strategy: A new framework for EU-ASEAN cooperation?

The Joint Communication titled “The EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific” was released on September 16, 2021, by the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This document is significant because it is the EU’s first effort to develop its strategy in a region whose economic and political weight makes it a crucial participant in influencing the world order. Even though this plan has no direct bearing on EU-ASEAN ties, it will still provide a broad framework for developing EU relationships with ASEAN and its member states.The purpose of the paper is to outline the key components of the EU’s new Indo-Pacific strategy as well as the decision-making process that led to its adoption. A brief evaluation of the strategy will be given at the end of the paper.