Asean-EU 45th dialogue partnership anniversary marked with photo exhibition
 
The Lao government and the European Union (EU) Delegation in Laos on Wednesday jointly opened a photo exhibition in Vientiane to mark the 45th anniversary of the dialogue partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the EU.
The five-day exhibition features 45 photos portraying the depth and breadth of Asean-EU relations.

Mr Thongphan Savanphet (seventh right), Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė and diplomats from the EU and Asean member countries link hands at the launch of the photo exhibition.

The event tells the story of the partnership between Asean and the EU through photos of high-level meetings, reflecting their deep-seated cooperation in seeking to resolve global challenges. These include the Covid-19 pandemic, economic relations, security, education, and the green transition.
On display at the old Ministry of Justice building, next to the Patuxay Monument, members of the public are welcome to visit the exhibition from December 14-18, from 8am to 5pm.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphan Savanphet said that over the past four and a half decades, bilateral cooperation has grown and expanded, covering a wide range of areas ranging from politics to security, economics, trade, and social and cultural spheres.
“Asean and the EU have always been important partners for each other,” he said.
In 2020, the 10-member Asean and the 27-member EU agreed to elevate their ties to that of a strategic partnership.
Asean appreciates the EU for its commitment and contribution to the Asean community building process and welcomes EU’s continued support for Asean centrality, peace, unity and development in the region, the deputy minister said.
Ambassador of the EU to Laos, Ms Ina Marčiulionytė, reflected on the past 45 years of Asean-EU relations, saying much progress has been made, with impressive growth in trade, investment, and people-to-people connectivity.
The EU remains an important trading partner of Asean. The total value of two-way merchandise trade between the two blocs reached US$268.9 billion in 2021, with year-on-year growth of 18.6 percent from 2020, according to Asean statistics.

(From left) Ambassador Ina Marčiulionytė, Ambassador Thong Sokuntheary and Mr Thongphan Savanphet admire the photos on display.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow from the EU to Asean increased by 42.9 percent in 2021 on a year-on-year basis and amounted to US$26.5 billion, placing the EU as Asean’s second largest external source of FDI among all Asean’s Dialogue Partners in that year.
Regarding people-to-people exchanges, about 10 million people travel between the two regions each year, according to the EU.
Amid ongoing global issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, an economic downturn, and climate change that are affecting countries the world over, Ambassador Marčiulionytė said these issues underlined the need for a joint effort to cope with the challenges.
She added that peace, security and prosperity in Asia are essential for that of Europe, so the EU is committed to continue working with Asean.
“I can confirm the strong commitment of the EU to continue being a trusted and reliable partner of Asean and its member states,” the diplomat told those attending the opening of the exhibition.
Also attending the event, which was jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU delegation, were Ambassador Thong Sokuntheary of Cambodia, the chair of Asean for 2022, as well as ambassadors and diplomats of the EU and Asean member countries.
The exhibition is taking place as the leaders of Asean and the EU are gathering in Brussels for the first ever high-level EU-Asean Commemorative Summit.
The summit will celebrate the 45th anniversary and discuss closer cooperation between the EU and Asean in the fields of connectivity and the green transition. Ahead of the Commemorative Summit, several side events are taking place in Brussels and online.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update December 15, 2022)