With the shared values and principles of a rules-based international order, effective and sustainable multilateralism, and free and fair trade, the EU and ASEAN have been dialogue partners since 1977 and strategic partners since 2020. In the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, the regional blocs seek to contribute to a peaceful, fair and prosperous world through cooperation on the economy, security, connectivity and sustainable development.

The EU is a major development cooperation partner of ASEAN and its Member States, and is actively engaged in expanding trade and investment relations — as its 3rd largest trading partner — along with confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the region. It has also supported countries in the region in their fight against COVID-19 with over EUR 800 million in grants and loans from Team Europe. The EU and ASEAN are on course to further strengthen cooperation through their Plan of Action for 2023 to 2027.