ABSTRACT
ASEAN is an important interregional partner for the EU.This chapter offers the reader a comprehensive introduction into political and economic developments in Southeast Asia, and according to the EU interests in engaging with ASEAN and its member states that emanate from this. A concise overview of EU-ASEAN relations shows that political and security issues have increasingly been woven into the bilateral agenda. Non-traditional security (NTS) is presented to have gained increasing relevance as a field of cooperation, not least because it appeals to the ingrained preference of the EU to engage in comprehensive security understandings. Throughout the chapter, it is also pointed out how the EU is seen as an actor in the different policy fields by its Southeast Asian partners. These external perceptions serve as the sounding board for the case studies presented in subsequent chapters.
