On 9 April 2024, the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS) hosted an Ambassador Lecture Series by H.E. Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN at Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, in Toul Kork where more than 60 participants presented, including university students, members of the diplomatic corps from the Embassy of France, EU, Singapore, Brunei, and Turkey, media, and other general public.
CCRS is deeply privileged to be able to partner with the European Union to Cambodia and Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia in making this special lecture possible for the wider publics, especially for Cambodian researchers and university students.
On behalf of CCRS, H.E. Amb. Pou Sothirak warmly welcomed all participants and set the tone for this lecture. The participants of this event are looking forward to learning more about how the European Union, one of the most successful regional organizations in Europe and, perhaps, in the world, has been engaging with ASEAN, how they share a common vision and tackle the pressing issues of our times. The honorable guest speaker is expected to share his perspective on what the EU have done for ASEAN and what more the European bloc can do to bring new vitality to their relationship to hasten regional integration and strengthen multilateralism, so as to live up to their aspiration for fostering their strategic objective of maintaining peace and safeguarding the welfare of their peoples.
In addition, the participants will learn from the guest of honor’s presentation regarding how the EU, a widely respected as an economic and normative power, engage ASEAN, one of the most successful regional bloc, with different contexts and goals of their socialization frameworks could converge on their difference approaches toward making their strategic relations more effective when they engage the wider region infested with big powers competition.
Ambassador Pou Sothirak expressed CCRS’ sincere appreciation to the eminent guest speaker and to the EU Delegation to Cambodia for facilitating this important event in order to dive deeper into the complex strategic context which defining the way both ASEAN and EU view each other’s respective capacities and interests in each region and how they intend to move forward their future relationship.
H.E. Amb. Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN, being born as a Cambodian, gave inspiring presentation, first, calling on all Cambodian students to go out and discover the world and to become the individual you want to be.
He shared his own history from childhood born in Cambodia at that time he had to leave the country to escape Khmer Rouge Regime and became a refugee in France. He grew up to graduate from prestigious schools in France, such as: Paris Business School (Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Paris) in 1993, Paris’ Institute of Political Science in 1994, and National School of Administration (Ecole Nationale d’Administration), Strasbourg and Paris in 1998. He then become a successful French career diplomat holding ambassadorial position for the ten nations – ASEAN since September 2023. Previuosly, he was the EU Ambassador to the Pacific, based in Suva, Fiji. As a French career diplomat, he also served as Ambassador of France to Fiji and Consul General of France in Houston, Texas. He also served as Consul General of France in Houston, United States of America, with jurisdiction over Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Ambassador Sujiro Seam’s introductory remarks made all Cambodians students attending the lecture proud. He is truly a role model for all youths to live up to their dream of becoming such a successful individual like him. From this lecture, all participants can learn how the EU and ASEAN can be the best strategic partner.
To advancing the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, His Excellency EU Ambassador to ASEAN gave a captivating presentation, focusing on three key points.
- First point: The 2nd February 2024 EU – ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussel was a resounding success due to three factors: the high level of participants from EU and ASEAN; the resounding Joint Statement culminating from difficult negotiations between not only between the EU and ASEAN but more importantly between and among 27 member states of the EU and 10 member states of ASEAN, plus Timor Lester on diverse issues of mutual interests; and the convergence on common position across 3 different official language of the EU, on the UN ceasefire resolution on the attack of Hamas on Israel on 27 Oct 2023.
- Second point: The implementation of EU and ASEAN strategic partnership was not really as smoot as it looks. The EU appears losing ground in ASEAN with its requests which have not been fulfilled by ASEAN. The EU has been denied membership to the East Asia Summit and prevented from being member of the ADDM Plus. When Cambodia served as chair in 2022, the EU was invited to the Summit Meetings but Indonesia did not invite the EU to join the Summit in 2024. Nevertheless, the EU has been invited to attend the Indo-Pacific Forum, a newly established security platform, but this is not a leader level. The EU is still interested in becoming member of the EAS and the ADDM Plus.
- Third point: With regard to how to improve the strategic partnership between the EU and ASEAN, the EU Ambassador to ASEAN has been spearheading an initiative called Head of Mission Reports where 21 EU members in Jakarta meet every month to send report back to Brussel. The report contains monthly assessment and recommendation on how to improve strategic relation between EU an ASEAN for the consideration EU Headquarter. EU Heads of Mission in Jakarta discuss and come up with recommendation on why the EU is losing traction with ASEAN. There were 8 recommendations for the improvement of the relations between EU and ASEAN. Among them, how to secure EU’s highest level of engagement (leader level) with ASEAN in order to level up the plain field so as for the EU to effectively engage ASEAN. It is important that EU leaders can engage directly with ASEAN at the summit level to stir the strategic relationship toward a healthier condition.
H.E. Amb. Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN also mentioned that EU is the largest donor in the world when it comes to issues related to the Red sea, cyber security, humanitarian assistant and disaster release and counterterrorism. EU also expresses strong commitment toward common agenda, by supporting the ASEAN to lead in the case of the crisis in Myanmar. The EU support the Five Point Consensus and look forward to boosting the political and security engagement, enhance the digital and green innovation, and picking up the speed with the negotiation on various FTA between the EU and some individual ASEAN member states. He stressed that the EU is the largest development partner for ASEAN committing substantive financial support for the regional bloc. As for the EU-led Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) the main different is the geostrategic consideration between the EU and ASEAN.
Finally, he pointed to the Global Gateway initiative which is a new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.
During the Q and A session there were active interactions between the participants and the honorable guest speaker. There were several questions from the audiences, such as: since some EU member states does not have relation with Israel, does it mean it has conflict with the US on that? What is the position of EU on Russian war in Ukraine and the 5-point consensus to the Myanmar crisis? What are the roles of Cambodia in strengthening the EU and ASEAN relations? For the Free Trade Agreement, how can Cambodia prepare to benefit from EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement? How to ensure the advancement of the strategic partnership between ASEAN-EU that would enforce the strategic autonomy of ASEAN and shield the region from the economic and security impact from US-China rivalry? What the convergence and the divergence aspect between the visions of the EU-led Indo-Pacific Strategy and the ASEAN’s AOIP? Why the EU is not invited to be a member of EAS and ADMM Plus?
H.E. Ambassador Sujiro Seam articulately answered the above questions, giving his frank opinions and explaining the complexity of those questions. To capture the essence of his answers, Ambassador Sujiro Seam clarified his views by highlighting the share similarity between the EU and ASEAN in term of values and principles of a rules-based international order, and stressing that both sides should enhance their commitment to foster constructive dialogue and consultation through their strategic partnership with greater understanding and mutual respects in seeking to build the Indo Pacific region as a zone of peace, prosperity and stability.
Ambassador Pou Sothirak gave closing remarks by mentioning that the lecture by the eminent speaker has been very insightful and educational. All of the participant gains deeper understanding of the strategic relations between the EU and ASEAN. He postulated three key take aways:
- The EU remain committed to collaborating with ASEAN to address global and regional issues, as such the EU is a reliable partner with ASEAN and with Cambodia. EU is seeking to become a more effective strategic partner with ASEAN.
- ASEAN should be more sensible and attentive with the request of the EU to fully engage ASEAN in the true meaning of strategic partnership. This is to say that ASEAN should invite the EU to be member of the leader-led East Asia Summit and the ADDM Plus. ASEAN could leverage on the EU’s global and regional affluence to serve as counter measure to mitigate the impact created by the US and China intense rivalry in the region of Southeast Asia and beyond.
- Cambodia and ASEAN should fully take advantage of the EU’s strength and capability, both soft and hard power and relies on the EU’s cutting-edge competitiveness in the domain of digital and green innovation and others important development aspects as described in the EU’s Global Gateway initiative to advance Cambodia development plans.
Ambassador Pou Sothirak invited CCRS representatives to present a token of appreciation to the honorable speaker. The meeting ended with cordial socialization and personal interactions between H.E. Ambassador Sujiro Seam and CCRS researchers and other university students.
