Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 45
45
Accepted
Paragraph: 138
Objective to sign wide-ranging agreements and upgrade strategic partnerships with ASEAN members.
Conclusion
A proximate objective should be the signing of wide-ranging agreements, like those the UK has with Malaysia and Indonesia, with other ASEAN member countries as appropriate, and where possible upgrading existing strategic partnership agreements to Economic and Financial Dialogues.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of deepening engagement and signing wide-ranging agreements, noting existing strategic partnerships with Malaysia and Indonesia, a Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore, ongoing FTA negotiations with Indonesia, and an upgrade to the FTA with Korea.
Paragraph Reference:
138
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government agrees with the Committee on the importance of deepening engagement with ASEAN member countries, including through the signing of wide-ranging agreements. The UK has Strategic Partnerships with Malaysia and Indonesia, and a Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore. We are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia and pursuing an upgrade to our existing Free Trade Agreement with Korea. We have also signed a ground-breaking Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore. The UK is also an active participant in the ASEAN-led fora including the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. Through the new Plan of Action for the ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership, the UK is committed to expanding cooperation with ASEAN and its member states across a range of issues. Through the ASEAN-UK Innovation Partnership, we continue to deepen our economic connections with this dynamic region and open doors for British business. We have also supported strong UK private sector participation in the annual ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and are using the British Investment Partnerships toolkit to promote public/private collaboration in areas such as renewable energy.