(VOVWORLD) - British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday emphasised that the UK has become the first country to be awarded the status of a dialogue partner by ASEAN over the past 25 years.
 British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
He said it is a part of London’s strategy to shift its policy towards the Indo-Pacific region after Brexit, and the new position enables the country to attend high-level ASEAN meetings and opens up opportunities for practical cooperation with countries in the region.
The UK has become ASEAN’s 11th dialogue partners, along with China, Japan, the US, Russia, India, the EU, and others.
“The UK looks forward to expanding trade, deepening security cooperation and being an even stronger force for good in the Indo-Pacific,” Raab tweeted.
ASEAN on Thursday granted the UK the formal status of Dialogue Partner at a ceremony held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei, which is the current Chair of ASEAN.