Foreign minister calls for renewal of EU-ASEAN relations

Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has called for a renewal of relations between the EU and Southeast Asia regarding maritime commerce security at the 24th EU-Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting in Brussels.

Gerapetritis stated that increased cooperation between the two blocs would benefit both sides at the face of the attacks on maritime commerce in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

"We have a common interest in strengthening rules-based multilateralism and promoting international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," Gerapetritis said, adding that Greece has "an important role to play" in securing safe passage through the Red Sea.

The foreign minister also made mention of the 9th Our Ocean Conference, to be hosted in Athens in April, and in which ASEAN member states will be invited to participate in talks...