The EU in Asia’s alphabet soup (La UE en la sopa de letras asiática)

A growing number of political, economic or security oriented regional institutions, with varying degrees of influence, make up the ‘who’s who’ of Asia’s political constellation. Some of these are slowly turning into viable platforms for deeper economic, political and soft-security cooperation. Such bodies have not yet provided substantive solutions to Asia’s myriad conflicts and disputes.

They do however emphasise the importance Asia attaches to dialogue and allude strongly to the significance of personal contacts and interaction within Asian societies. As the global balance of power shifts toward Asia, many non-regional international actors who wish to play a role in the region increasingly covet membership to these fora.