Foreign and Commonwealth Office – 2020 Press Release on the Meeting of ASEAN Member States

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 23/01/2020.

FCO Minister Heather Wheeler held a meeting with senior diplomats from ASEAN countries to discuss strengthening the UK’s partnership with Southeast Asia.

Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler held a meeting today (22 January) with London Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the member states of ASEAN to discuss strengthening the UK’s partnership with the region.

Areas discussed included deepening future UK-ASEAN cooperation and COP 26 and follows the Minister’s visit to Jakarta last week to officially open the UK’s first dedicated Mission to ASEAN.

Speaking after the meeting, FCO Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Heather Wheeler MP said:

“I had the privilege of opening the UK’s first dedicated Mission to ASEAN on my recent visit to Southeast Asia. This meeting with the ASEAN Heads of Mission has been a great chance to strengthen further links with a region which will be a key partner for the UK after we leave the EU at the end of this month.

The UK has longstanding and enriching links with the ASEAN region. Two-way trade in 2018 was £37.2 billion and is ever increasing, over 3 million British nationals visit Southeast Asia each year and there are over 40,000 ASEAN students studying in the UK.

We collaborate on not only education, science and innovation, trade, security and climate, but so many other sectors. The possibilities are endless and continued dialogue will enable us to do even more.”