The Philippines’ 2026 Chairship takes place at an important moment with both opportunities and challenges. In this ASEM InfoBoard podcast, learn about the Philippines’ three priorities of “Peace and Security Anchors”, “Prosperity Corridors” and “People Empowerment”. These underpin the Philippines’ commitment to address both regional and global issues. In designing its priorities, the Philippines seeks to continue the efforts of past Chairs, ensure that ASEAN maintains its centrality and focus on how ASEAN can contribute to both geopolitical and energy security. The discussion also explores why developments in ASEAN matter to Europe, what both regions should pay attention to in the lead-up to the 50^th anniversary of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations in 2027 and how Asia-Europe cooperation remains relevant in an increasingly complex geopolitical and economic environment.

Key Takeaways

•  Shared Purpose of ASEAN and Europe. ASEAN and EU were built with the same purpose to deliver peace and prosperity for their countries and citizens, built on the assumption that “we are stronger together than a team alone”. The strategic partnership between ASEAN and EU matters across multiple domains – peace, security, trade, investment, growth, prosperity, development cooperation, climate change, green and digital transition, and inclusivity and diversity. 2026 could be a “year of transition” in the build up to the 50^th Anniversary of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations in 2027.
• The Philippines’ Priorities and Concrete Deliverables. The Philippines’ three chairship priorities are “Peace and Security Anchors”, “Prosperity Corridors” and “People Empowerment”. Under these, the discussion highlighted concrete areas such as maritime cooperation, the hoped-for conclusion of the Code of Conduct negotiations, the proposed ASEAN maritime study centre, the Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA), the silver economy, youth resilience and climate resilience. Artificial intelligence was also presented as a cross-cutting issue that affects all three ASEAN pillars.
• External and Internal Tensions. The success of the Philippines’ Chairship would depend on its ability not only to react and respond to identified challenges, but also black swan events. Malaysia spent a good amount of time in 2025 dealing with the fallout of unilateral trade measures and shifting postures from outside the region. While it would be a sigh of relief if nothing has gone too badly wrong, it would also be important to look at the internal undercurrents across ASEAN including AI, misinformation and disinformation, and rising inequalities.
• Bread and Butter Issues Matter. The Philippines’ Chairship will look to address urgent issues such as the global energy emergency and to activate an ASEAN response to deal with the situation, even if it takes time to obtain consensus. As the EU thinks about engaging ASEAN, focus areas include defence and security, getting the green and digital transition right, and ensuring that trade and economic growth continues to benefit citizens across the global economy.
•  What ASEAN Would Like from Europe. The discussion also pointed to areas where ASEAN would welcome stronger support from the EU, particularly in AI capacity-building, digital infrastructure, investment, climate action and the preservation of natural resources. A future ASEAN-EU free trade agreement was highlighted as an important long-term opportunity that could bring mutual benefit to both regions.
• Perceptions of Each Other. The discussions revealed how the EU is seen as a strategically relevant partner of ASEAN, based on a recent survey conducted by ISEAS, surpassing even closer neighbouring countries such as Japan, although recent developments in the Middle East may affect this. Conversely, not many Europeans are aware of the investments in Europe by ASEAN countries and that “it’s not a one-way street.”  Closer collaboration between ASEAN and the EU, be it on the economic corridor, AI or maritime cooperation could thus help to address this gap.