ASEAN centrality has been a defining feature of the regional security architecture. The importance of upholding multilateral structures is underscored both in the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and in Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision. Yet, the escalating great power rivalry between the US and China has led to an unprecedented polarization and fragmentation of the regional strategic landscape, putting existing cooperative mechanisms under ever-increasing pressure.

How effective has the ASEAN been so far to deal with the mounting security challenges inside and outside Southeast Asia? How exactly does the rapidly changing security environment affect the relevance, the capacity and the future of regional integration? And how can extra-regional parties, such as the EU and Japan, boost the resilience and promote ASEAN-led multilateral cooperation in the region?

The Japan Program organised a 2-session seminar on 11 October 2021, bringing together experts and policymakers from the EU, Japan and Southeast Asia, discussing the two partners’ interests, policies and views on Southeast Asia.

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