Just like it was in similar meetups in preceding years, there will be little, if any, headline-grabbing news.
However, the impact of decisions made and deals struck in these four days will have a significant impact on many aspects of daily life.
For diplomat Rafael Daerr and research fellow Joel Ng, that alone underscores the significance of the role that the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting and Post- Ministerial Conference play in promoting the region’s interests vis-à-vis the rest of the world.
The meetings that Asean has with each individual dialogue partner, under the Asean+1 format, are aimed at easing the flow of essential goods, ensuring timely response to crises, and enhancing handling of tensions before they escalate – factors that affect every citizen in the 10 member countries.
This year’s meeting with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Russia, the European Union (EU), the UK and Canada will be no different.
Through Asean+1, members of the bloc have engaged regularly with these dialogue partners on trade, energy, health, disaster relief and many other issues.
These engagements, on the multilateral and bilateral levels, have helped Southeast Asia stay relatively stable, and with that stability comes prosperity.
Daily impact
Rather than engage in high-drama events, delegates to these conferences ensure that the real business gets done.
Foreign ministers come together to hash out the necessary agreements before their respective heads of government meet at the Asean Summit, which will be held in October.
This is when they officially endorse new deals for cooperation and collaboration that will shape Southeast Asia until the next summit.
Rather than abstract concepts that bring little, if any, benefit, these deals affect how Southeast Asia responds to food shocks, supply chain disruptions, energy volatility, and health emergencies.
It also strengthens Asean’s ability to shape the rules in emerging areas of concern, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and the transition to clean energy.
The take from each partner
Each dialogue partner brings something different to the table. For instance, the EU and Japan offer financial and technical expertise that support power grid projects across Asean.
This is on top of the assistance provided in expanding regional transport links and developing an Asean smart city infrastructure.
Rather than just serving the government’s needs, these initiatives also help to improve how people commute, businesses operate and how households gain access to a reliable power source.
Close cooperation and collaboration with the US helped to ease the flow of much- needed medical equipment and supplies, including vaccines, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US is also a longstanding defence and economic partner of Asean, lending support for maritime exercises and enhancing military capabilities, apart from being a major trading partner and source of foreign direct investment (FDI).
China, Asean’s biggest trading partner, plays and equally tangible role. The Asean- China Free Trade Agreement was upgraded for the third time this year under Malaysia’s chairmanship of the bloc.
Significant reduction of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on thousands of Southeast Asian products has paved the way for them to reach China’s shores.
Chinese investments in transport and manufacturing have also driven job creation in key sectors such as electronics and agriculture.
The big picture
Asean has drawn significant benefits from such engagements. For instance, the trust built through such partnerships have helped to reduce tensions in favour of peace and prosperity.
With a seat at the table, the bloc gains the leverage to influence any agenda in Southeast Asia’s favour, be they balancing US-China ties, or working on digital standards with the EU.
Daerr, the EU ambassador to Malaysia, sees Europe and Southeast Asia as “like-minded” partners cooperating to reduce the impact of the US-China trade war.
Both sides are working together to support global trade rules and boost economic resilience while avoiding over-dependence on either the US or China.
“The EU is also negotiating bilateral trade agreements with individual Asean countries, which is more beneficial for both partners given that you can more easily ensure that the needs of each country are met,” he told FMT.
Focus on the future
Through these ties, Asean is shaping its own future to become a peaceful, stable,and resilient region that is people-centric and outward looking in line with its long-term blueprint – the Asean Community Vision 2045.
While Asean may not get everything it wants, it has no choice but to continue to pursue such engagements in the face of current and future cross-border challenges, such as global economic slowdown, transnational crime and climate change.
The financial, technical, and coordination challenges are just too daunting for any one country to manage on its own. As Daerr pointed out, this shows how important it is for Asean and the EU to see each other as reliable partners.
“The key to building trust is dialogue,” he said. In line with that, he added, the EU is looking to rev up high-level engagements with Asean in the run-up to the 50th year of Asean-EU ties.
The bottom line
Of course, it is not all smooth sailing. The situation in Myanmar, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea continue to be a flashpoint, while uneven development across the region can slow things down for everyone.
But dialogue can help to keep things from getting worse.
As Ng, who is with Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told FMT, avoiding confrontation, conflict and excessive competition is the basis for Asean’s existence.
“This may not seem important now, but in the big picture, or when there is a crisis, it is everything,” he said.
As uncertainty reigns, such meetups among Asean member countries and with their dialogue partners can pave the way to opportunities and through challenges.
As chair of Asean this year, Malaysia is in a position to lead the way.