ASEAN–EU Relations: Laos in ASEAN–EU Relations

Abstract

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an important regional organisation in Southeast Asia. It has ten Member Countries with approximately 642 million people, a large market for foreign investors. The European Union (EU) is a dynamic organisation in the European region. It has 27 Member States with a population of approximately 446 million, where an essential destination for investment is coming from the ASEAN region. ASEAN and EU have kept their cooperation for decades not only on economic integration but also connectivity, environment, climate change mitigation and education. They aim to develop their relationship from a dialogue partnership to a strategic one.This paper analysed the ASEAN–EU relation regarding the aims and benefits of their cooperation. Furthermore, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), an ASEAN Member Country, was studied as an example country in this paper. Since 1997, Laos has enhanced its cooperation with European countries under the Cooperation Agreement between them. In addition, it would be more beneficial to analyse how this country has influenced ASEAN–EU relations.