In the context of the complex global geopolitical situation, this event is considered an important milestone, continuing to affirm the trend of strengthening connectivity between two large regions, which play an increasingly important role in shaping the global security-economic structure.
The forum brings together ministers and senior representatives from 64 countries across the two regions, aiming to promote cooperation for stability, prosperity, and sustainable development.
Organised by the EU, the event focuses on discussing measures to enhance coordination in coping with common challenges, from the impacts of conflicts on the multilateral system to the trend of weaponising trade and technology, and the increasingly severe effects of climate change.
Notably, within the framework of the forum, Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission (EC), chaired a high-level event on the protection of critical maritime infrastructure. This activity demonstrates the EU’s commitment to working with regional countries to protect maritime transport routes and undersea fibre-optic cable systems—critical infrastructures that play an essential role in global connectivity and stability.
The EU is continuing to promote naval security cooperation through Operation Aspides, Operation Atalanta, and the Crimario Initiative to ensure freedom of navigation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Other areas discussed by ministers include sustainable development and digital transformation. In terms of the economy, initiatives in the framework of the Global Gateway are helping countries improve infrastructure, strengthen trade, and foster secure supply chains. Through the Global Gateway Initiative, the EU is expanding cooperation on high-quality infrastructure development, including strategic connectivity projects such as the ASEAN Power Grid.
The EU is also promoting cooperation on critical raw materials and expanding digital, human resources, and knowledge connection programmes through Erasmus Plus (youth) and Horizon Europe (research and innovation). The EU and the Indo-Pacific region are promoting green-growth models and enhancing climate resilience.
The EU supports the 2050 Strategy for a Blue Pacific Continent, is building Green Alliances with Japan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and 15 Pacific Island countries, and participates in Just Energy Transition Partnerships. The EU affirms its commitment to standing with regional countries in disaster response and climate-change adaptation.
Four years after launching its Indo-Pacific Cooperation Strategy, the EU affirms that this strategy has become a key pillar of Europe’s stronger presence in the region. Partnerships between the two regions have been strengthened across three main pillars: security, economy, and environment.
At the forum, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas emphasised that the deepening relationship between the EU and the Indo-Pacific has exceeded initial expectations.
The EU stressed the importance of strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region, considering it a key factor in maintaining stability and a rules-based order in the context of rising geopolitical competition. The depth of the relationship between the two regions is not in individual declarations but in practical and increasingly robust cooperation across multiple fields, from security, trade, and technology to disaster response and environmental protection.
According to experts, both Europe and countries in the region are at a turning point, as they face a series of common challenges. The similarities in these pressures place the two regions “in the same boat”, requiring closer and more persistent coordination to strengthen resilience and promote development.
In a context where common rules are under increasing pressure, the forum in Brussels is expected to generate further momentum for the two regions to turn challenges into opportunities to promote peace; enhancing resilience and achieving common prosperity.
