EU-US cooperation in the Asia-Pacific

In July 2012, on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the US Secretary of State underlined the necessity for EU-US cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US 'pivot to Asia-Pacific' announced in 2011 recognises the region as 'key driver of global politics'. It entails a series of diplomatic, economic and military initiatives, as well as efforts to engage the EU in cooperating in the region. However, the EU and its Member States still appear to lack a common vision for the Asia-Pacific. In this sense, the opportunity for EU involvement and its capacity to effectively engage in Asia-Pacific are a matter of ongoing debate.

• Primary Source

EU: EEAS: Asia http://eeas.europa.eu/asia/index_en.htm

EEAS: EU Around the Globe: Regions: Pacific http://eeas.europa.eu/pacific/index_en.htm

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