Minister for Foreign Affairs George W. Vella today participated in the 47th Ministerial Meeting between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brussels.

Ministers discussed international and regional issues of common interest to the two sides and exchanged views on how to address them jointly. Among the more salient aspects of the discussion, Ministers took stock of unfolding events in Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa. Other important issues to be raised were counter-terrorism, maritime cooperation and security and climate change.

In his intervention, Minister Vella expanded upon areas over which cooperation could be further enhanced, such as energy diversification, maritime security and Small and Medium Enterprises. Minister Vella also dealt with the situation in the Middle East, with particular focus on developments in Gaza over the past days.

During the day, Minister Vella also held bilateral meetings with Albert F. del Rosario, Foreign Minister of the Philippines, Hor Namhong Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Cambodia and Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam. Discussions focused on existing and potential avenues of cooperation with these individual countries particularly in the fields of education, enhanced trade exchanges, aviation services and consular issues.

Developments in respective regions were also addressed.