EU--Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum discusses shared prosperity, economic security, digital connectivity

Brussels [Belgium], November 22 (ANI/WAM): Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, chaired the fourth EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels, on 20 and 21 November 2025.
During the Forum, participants focused on how to enhance cooperation and deepen solidarity in three parallel roundtables:
Security priorities in the face of current geopolitical developments. Shared prosperity, economic security, and digital connectivity. Common endeavours for a clean and sustainable future.
The Forum brought together around 70 delegations from the EU institutions and EU member states, as well as from countries and regional organisations from the Indo-Pacific region, spanning from the East coast of Africa to the Pacific Islands countries.
The EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum has become a unique platform for the EU and its member states to engage collectively with Indo-Pacific partners. It reflects a shared interest in fostering concrete cooperation on a region-to-region basis, enhancing mutual security, prosperity and resilience, and laying the foundations for an ever more ambitious partnership.
Amid geopolitical shifts and economic uncertainty, Europe and the Indo-Pacific find their futures increasingly intertwined. Recent challenges, from growing pressure on the multilateral system to the weaponisation of trade and technology and the accelerating climate crisis, are bringing the two regions closer together. In this context, they continue to rely on the rules-based international order, and the multilateral institutions which ensure compliance as well as accountability with agreed rules and norms.
The Forum offered a good opportunity for the EU to highlight the concrete progress made in strengthening partnerships with Indo-Pacific countries and organisations since the previous Ministerial meeting in February 2024.
This includes the Security and Defence Partnerships agreed with Japan and the Republic of Korea; the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement; the signature of the EU Clean Trade and Investment Partnership with South Africa; the EU financial and technical support to the ASEAN Power Grid development; the first-ever EU-Pacific Business Forum that unlocked nearly EUR300 million in new investments and budget support; as well as numerous other cooperation agreements and initiatives led by EU member states. (ANI/WAM)