Participants of the ASEAN-Germany development partnership committee meeting pose for photos. ASEAN SECRETARIAT
ASEAN and Germany agreed to intensify efforts to strengthen their development partnership in areas of mutual interest, as officials from both sides met for the seventh ASEAN-Germany development partnership committee meeting.
The meeting was held on November 7, at the ASEAN headquarters in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
The meeting noted substantive progress in the implementation of ASEAN-Germany practical cooperation areas (PCA) for 2023-27, according to a November 7 statement by the ASEAN secretariat. It reported that almost 69 per cent of the action lines of the PCA have been, or are being, addressed since its adoption last year.
Both sides noted robust cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism and combating transnational crime, trade and investment, the promotion of micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs), tourism, human resources development, food, agriculture, forestry and agro-forestry, as well as climate cooperation and environmental protection, waste management, humanitarian assistance and sustainable development.
“Moving forward, both sides agreed to continue strengthening collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including cybersecurity, energy security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, youth cooperation, science, technology and innovation, and connectivity,” said the release.
The meeting also discussed cooperation under the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific region, with both sides exchanging views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern.
The meeting was co-chaired by ASEAN deputy secretary-general for political-security community Michael Tene and German ambassador to ASEAN Ina Lepel, and attended by members of the committee of permanent representatives to ASEAN, as well as their respective delegations.
Minister of state at the German foreign office Tobias Lindner attended the meeting. Timor-Leste ambassador to ASEAN Natércia Coelho da Silva was also present, as an observer.
On November 7, Tene met with Lindner on the sidelines of the meeting, where they exchanged views on ways to strengthen ASEAN-Germany relations, along with a number of regional and international issues.
The German embassy in Jakarta tweeted on November 7 that the meeting was successful, “with exchanges on political developments and a review of our project portfolio, with many new projects in the pipeline”.
“Germany is stepping up its engagement with ASEAN,” it added.
Lindner also took to social media to announce that he was pleased to participate, and enjoyed substantial exchanges with Lepel and Tene about political developments and how to further strengthen their partnership.
“Germany is one of the biggest contributors to ASEAN, with a current portfolio of 80 million Euros [US$ 85 million]. New projects for 2024 are in the pipeline! Particular focus on climate, environment and energy,” he tweeted.
