European Union ministers will meet with their counterparts from the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN, on Wednesday to discuss closer political relations and cooperation -- especially in security, energy and environment.
At the meeting in the German city of Nuremberg, the EU is expected to express its commitment to support ASEAN in developing its own forms of regional integration.
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Tuesday, EU relations with ASEAN are becoming increasingly dynamic. She added that the adoption of a vision statement on an enhanced EU-ASEAN partnership is a perfect
example of that. The document calls for closer political relations.
The meeting will be attended by representatives from all EU members, as well as the 10 ASEAN states - Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Earlier this year, a senior EU official criticized Burma for what he described as its slow progress toward democracy.
Germany's ambassador to the Philippines, Axel Raimund Weishaupt, said the attitude of Burma's military government is slowing down the process of regional integration.
Information for this report is provided by Reuters.