"Despite its problems the European Union remains a strong and viable partner with the Asean," Karel De Gucht, the EU commissioner for trade, said during the second Asean-EU Business Summit in Cambodia last week.
Mr De Gucht said that the future of Asean and the EU were "entwined" and the ongoing momentum to expand trade and investments should be pursued.
He said EU businesses and policymakers realised that 90% of future growth would be outside their borders and a large part of it would come from the Asean grouping, so it was the aim of the EU to take this opportunity to strengthen those connections even further.
The engagement between the EU and Asean is deep as two-way trade between the regions stands at about 160 billion. The EU accounts for over 10% of Asean's total trade in goods.
In the services sector the percentage is even higher at about 13%.
For more: Don't count Europe out | Bangkok Post: business
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