MICHEÁL MARTIN IS set to make his last trip as Taoiseach to Brussels today for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders and their EU counterparts. 

He will also be attending a meeting a meeting of the European Council tomorrow also. 

Ahead of the meetings, the Taoiseach has spoken of the importance of EU relations with Southeast Asia, specifically on tackling climate change, while keeping the pressure up on Russia will be the focus of the meeting on Thursday. 

“Recent years have shown clearly the importance of global cooperation if we are to manage the increasingly complex challenges the world faces.

“Southeast Asia is an important economic and geo-political partner for the EU, especially on issues such as climate change and an increasingly uncertain security environment.

“I look forward to discussing these and other issues with Leaders from the region,” Martin said. 

He further said that he is looking forward to the European Council meeting which he says will “express our support for Ukraine, for as long as it takes; and will deal with the consequences of the war in areas such as energy and the economy.” 

Martin also said that further sanctions on Russia will be considered, as well as “how to ensure that those responsible for the war are held to account for what they have unleashed and sustained.” 

EU leaders are looking to bolster ties with ASEAN leaders today in the face of the war in Ukraine and challenges from China. 

ASEAN has one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and the EU is keen to boost trade between the two. 

President of France Emmanuel Macron has said that there is a need for Europeans to “reconnect with ASEAN, one of the most dynamic areas in the world.” 

The EU has been on a diplomatic push to strengthen a global front against Moscow. 

However, ASEAN’S 10 nations have been divided in their response to the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine. 

Singapore has backed Western sanctions against Russia while Vietnam and Laos, which have military ties to Moscow, have remained more neutral. 

Alongside Thailand, they abstained from a United Nations vote in October condemning Russia’s attempted annexation of regions of Ukraine. 

These diverging views have led to intense wrangling over a final declaration from the summit, with the EU pushing for stronger language to condemn Moscow. 

An EU official said Brussels was satisfied that the message sent in the end will be “crystal clear” on the need to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. 

There is another global giant looming over the summit however in the form of China. 

Chinese claims over the South China Sea have set it against some neighbours and sparked fears over trade flows through the key thoroughfare. 

Yet China remains the biggest trade partner for ASEAN and many in the regions are wary of distancing themselves from their giant neighbour. 

The EU is now keen to pitch itself as a reliable partner for Southeast Asia’s dynamic economies. 

-Additional reporting from Eimer McAuley.