Borrell calls for EU-ASEAN cooperation on Gaza, cease-fire
By JAN YUMUL in Hong Kong | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-07-26 20:55
European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell called for an immediate cease-fire and greater humanitarian access in Gaza, urging increased cooperation with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the issue.
Borrell's comments came on July 26 while he was in Laos for the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the EU, which he co-chaired with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo.
In a post on his X account, Borrell noted that several ASEAN members had "expressed strong condemnation on what is happening in Gaza".
"As I repeatedly said: a horror doesn't justify another. The EU is the main supporter of the Palestinian Authority. We call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Humanitarian access must be guaranteed," Borrell wrote.
"We need to work together with ASEAN countries to support a political two-state solution for lasting and sustainable peace," he added.
Borrell emphasized that the EU and ASEAN "are strategic partners" and that the unifying power of regional integration "makes us stronger in the international scene".
"We both want strategic autonomy while promoting multilateralism. The new EU leadership will keep the relationship with ASEAN at the center of our foreign policy," wrote Borrell.
He also said it was time to step up cooperation on several fronts, including trade, security, and the fight against climate change.
