EFTA and ASEAN meet to discuss respective trade policies and cooperation

Ambassador Chau Mai Anh of Viet Nam, Chair of the ACB, lead the ASEAN delegation and Ambassador Bernard Faustino M. Dy of the Philippines represented the ASEAN Chair. The EFTA delegation was led by Ambassador Frank Büchel of Liechtenstein, who currently chairs the EFTA Council, and comprised further high-level representatives from the EFTA States and the EFTA Secretariat.

Ambassador Büchel reaffirmed the importance that EFTA places on its relationship with ASEAN and welcomed the recent adoption of the Work Plan under the EFTA–ASEAN Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation (JDC).  

The EFTA Secretariat presented its role in supporting Member States in trade negotiations, the implementation of free trade agreement (FTAs) and cooperation with strategic partners such as ASEAN.  

EFTA and ASEAN exchanged views on current trade policy developments and discussed their respective policy priorities and perspectives on EFTA–ASEAN trade relations. Both sides underlined the value of regular dialogue between the trade blocks and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation under the JDC and Work Plan.  

Economic ties between EFTA and ASEAN are continuing to deepen. The EFTA States have concluded FTAs with six of the eleven ASEAN members, while merchandise trade with the region has more than tripled over the past two decades, exceeding EUR 18 billion in 2025.

Photos

EFTA-ASEAN Work Plan

EFTA-ASEAN Trade relations