ASEAN – Approval of France as a development partner of the Association of Southeast Asian States

During their annual meeting on September 9, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) approved the candidacy of France for the status of development partner of the organization. France thanks all of ASEAN’s member states, especially the Vietnamese presidency, as well as the organization’s Secretariat, for their support.

This is an important step toward strengthening our ties with ASEAN, with which we share a common vision of the Indo-Pacific region based on inclusivity, respect for international law, multilateralism and international cooperation. France’s acquisition of the status of development partner is fully in line with our strategy in the Indo-Pacific region and will allow us to  strengthen our contribution to sustainable development, peace and security as well as stability in the region.

France already maintains close relations with all Southeast Asian countries, which is notably reflected through long-standing and forward-looking cooperation. This cooperation is based on an extensive regional network of economic, cultural and scientific cooperation (establishment of 140 French businesses, research centers and institutes) as well as on the mobilization of the French Development Agency (AFD), which has been present in the region for 25 years and which has funded more than 170 projects since 2010, representing a commitment of more than €4 billion.