CARUM Conversation Series #4
With: Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for the Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service (EEAS), Brussels
Date: 23 February 2023 (Thursday)
Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Venue: Resource Centre, Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya
Host: Dr. Rahul Mishra, Director of Centre for ASEAN Regionalism Universiti Malaya (CARUM), Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya
The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly becoming strategically important for the EU. The region's growing economic, demographic, and political weight makes it a key player in shaping the international order and in addressing global challenges. The EU and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected. Together, the Indo-Pacific and Europe hold over 70% of the global trade in goods and services, as well as over 60% of foreign direct investment flows.
However, current dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to intense geopolitical competition adding to increasing tensions on trade and supply chains as well as in technological, political and security areas. This is the reason why the EU has decided to step up its strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region and adopted in 2021 the EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The strategy resonates well with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, as both are guided by principles of inclusiveness, openness, cooperation and consensus-building, and respect for international law towards regional cooperation with external relations.
The EU and ASEAN are the world’s two most advanced regional integration organisations. They have developed a dynamic, multifaceted partnership. A Strategic Partnership was concluded in 2020, and covers political, security, economic, environmental, climate and socio-cultural issues as well as connectivity. The first-ever summit between the leaders of EU and ASEAN member states took place on 14 December 2022 in Brussels and marked 45 years of diplomatic relations. At the summit, EU and ASEAN leaders reaffirmed their partnership based on shared values and principles such as the rules-based international order, the respect of territorial integrity and effective and sustainable multilateralism.
Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service, in his lecture, will analyse the importance of closer cooperation between the EU and the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on ASEAN, amidst rising global challenges and in an increasingly fragmented world.
Gunnar Wiegand is a German national who has had a distinguished career in European foreign policy. He has a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Paul S. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, which he obtained in 1985, and he graduated in Law from the University of Hamburg in 1982.
Wiegand has held various senior positions in the European Union's foreign policy apparatus. From 2016 to present, he has been the EEAS Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, as well as the EU Senior Official for ASEM and ASEAN. Prior to that, he was the EEAS Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, OSCE, and Northern Dimension from 2011 to 2015. He was also the Director for Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, and Central Asia at the European Commission from 2008 to 2011.
Wiegand has extensive experience in dealing with international partners, having held various positions in the European Commission's DG RELEX. From 2003 to 2006, he was the Head of Unit for Relations with the United States and Canada. Prior to that, he was the Spokesman for Lord Chris Patten, EU Commissioner for External Relations, from September 1999 to December 2002.
Wiegand has a wealth of language skills, which includes German (his mother tongue), English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. His experience and expertise in international relations have made him a valuable asset to the European Union's foreign policy efforts.
Dr Rahul Mishra is the Director, CARUM, and Coordinator of the European Studies Programme at the Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya. He is also the Managing Editor of the AEI Insights journal. Dr Mishra specialises in politico-security affairs of the Southeast and East Asian region, ASEAN-EU regionalism, comparative regionalism, and the role of major & middle powers in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in the context of China’s rise. Prior to this, he was a Consultant with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He has also worked with the ICWA and the IDSA for four years each. Recipient of the Asia Fellowship of the East-West Center in Washington D.C., Korean and the Australian Government Fellowships, he was previously affiliated with the RSIS (NTU) and NUS as well. He is a columnist with Deutsche Welle, Germany. Twitter: @rahulmishr_ Email: rahul.seas@gmail.com
2:00 pm: Arrival of Guests & Registration
2:30 pm: Remarks by the moderator, Dr. Rahul Mishra, Director of CARUM, AEI
2:405 pm: Lecture by Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, European External Action Service, Brussels
3:20 pm: Q&A
3:50 pm: Closing
4:00 pm: End of session followed by refreshments
Last Update: 21/02/2023