NOT all of our dreams and aspirations for 2021 have been fulfilled. Covid-19, the biggest global health crisis in a century, continues to cause immense suffering and uncertainty.
Other global challenges like climate change, social inequality, and security threats keep Malaysians and Europeans very concerned. The recent floods and the devastation, they brought to many livelihoods across Malaysia, is a testament of the manifold challenges that lie ahead.
However, history reminds us that every crisis brings also an opportunity. As 2021 has been a year marked by multiple challenges, for the European Union it has also been a year of a very profound transformation of its toolkit of policies.
The Indo-Pacific region will be a focus area of heightened EU commitment. This will present great opportunities to elevate EU-Malaysia relations to a new level. Let me briefly mention three of them.
First, in September 2021, the EU launched its Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, in order to deepen its engagement with its partners in this region. Malaysia, with a strategic location at the heart of the Indo-Pacific, has a lot to gain from the EU’s upgrade of its engagement in this region.
The EU aims to promote a safer, rules-based international order and ensure better access to open markets in a stable and predictable trading environment.
In implementing its new strategy, the EU hopes to soon conclude the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Malaysia and assess the possible resumption of bilateral trade negotiations.
Second, in December 2021, the EU announced its Global Gateway initiative. As we transition into post-Covid recovery and rebuilding, it is crucial to think about how we can build back in a sustainable way.
Global Gateway strives to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, climate and energy, transport, health, education and research systems across the world. The aim is to mobilise 300 billion euros or RM1.4 trillion, in investments between 2021 and 2027.
I invite our Malaysian partners to jointly reflect how Malaysia can benefit from this new connectivity approach.
Third, in November 2021, the EU presented a number of new initiatives that would transform the European Green initiatives into reality. The proposals include new rules to curb EU-driven deforestation, as well as new rules to promote circular economy.
The proposals are an important step to protect nature globally, raise environmental standards in the European Union and in the world, and move towards a circular economy.
The EU is committed to collaborate with Malaysia, one of the world’s 12 mega-diversity countries, towards this end.
The year 2022 also marks the 45th anniversary of EU-Asean relations. Our partnership with Asean is at the very heart of our policies in Asia.
A strong Asean, at the centre of the regional security architecture, helps to ease tensions, provides stability for the region and prosperity for its citizens.
Our relationship is based on shared values and principles such as the rules-based international order, effective and sustainable multilateralism and free and fair trade.
The New Year will be our joint opportunity to use these new initiatives to elevate the EU-Malaysian relations to greater heights.
All of the three new areas include new instruments and tools, a new mindset and openness, a new determination to engage in the Indo-Pacific, and additional funding to make it a reality.
I look forward to discussing with my Malaysian partners how to translate these opportunities into concrete cooperation, which will be beneficial to Malaysians and Europeans alike.
I want to seize this opportunity to wish to all Malaysians a creative, healthy and prosperous New Year.
By Michalis Rokas / nst
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of AsiaWE Review.
