Brussels, Nov 15 – High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini travels to Myanmar for the ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and to Bangladesh.On Monday and Tuesday 20-21 November, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, will lead the European delegation at the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of Foreign Ministers in Nai Pyi Taw, Myanmar. On Sunday 19 November, the High Representative/Vice-President will also have a working visit to Bangladesh.
The theme of this year’s Asia-Europe Meeting is “Strengthening Partnership for Peace and Sustainable Development”. The meeting will focus on security, economic, and political issues of common interest to Asian and European Foreign Ministers, such as weapons of mass destruction and non-proliferation, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and strengthening cyber-security. The Asian and European Foreign Ministers will also look to reinforce partnerships in areas such as sustainable development and climate change, as well as how to improve connectivity between Europe and Asia.
The meeting will serve as preparation for next years’ 12th ASEM Summit, which will take place in Brussels in October 2018. While in Nai Pyi Taw, High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini will also hold a number of bilateral meetings. The visit will also provide an opportunity to address the situation in Northern Rakhine State.
In Bangladesh, the High Representative/Vice-President will visit Rohingya refugee camps in the district of Cox’s Bazar and will meet with representatives of humanitarian organisations. In Dhaka, she will also meet the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Mrs Sheikh Hasina, to address the refugee crisis and the EU’s support to the country in this context, as well as other areas of the EU-Bangladesh partnership.
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is a unique, informal platform for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe on the big challenges of a fast-changing world, such as connectivity, trade and investment, climate change, but also broad security challenges such as counter-terrorism, migration, maritime security and cyber issues. ASEM is the main multilateral platform linking Europe and Asia with significant global weight: ASEM partners represent around 60% of global GDP, 60% of global population and 60% of global trade.
The High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini’s visit to Bangladesh takes place after the European Union co-hosted the UN Pledging Conference on Rohingya refugee crisis in Geneva on 23 October, where the European Union’s pledge of €30 million in new funding was the highest contribution among all donors, and the EU and its Member States pledged more than half of the total amount of pledges. – Press release
