Luis Planas underlines Spain's interest in strengthening trade exchanges with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Luis Planas underlined Spain's interest in "strengthening" agri-food trade exchanges with the countries making up this association and welcomed the opportunity provided by this meeting to "build closer ties".

The meeting highlighted the chance to increase cooperation in those aspects of farming and fishing that may be of interest to the ASEAN countries, for which Spain can share its technical knowledge on a significant number of issues.

He pointed out that Spanish agri-food and fishing exports to ASEAN countries have grown considerably in recent years to almost 600 million euros in 2017, although the trade balance in these products shows a deficit for Spain.

More specifically, Spanish food exports to these countries amounted to 577.78 million euros. This was a 13% increase on the 510.96 million euros in the previous year and 220% higher when compared with the figure of 180.31 million euros posted in 2010.

Set up in 1967, ASEAN is currently made up by Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Given the great economic and political interest from Spain in this region, in 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food opened its first South-East Asia Office based in Singapore and accredited in Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ASEAN Committee in Madrid (ACM) was set up in 2014 to boost relations between these countries and Spain. This organisation is made up by the embassies of Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, representatives from which attended the meeting on Thursday.

Non official translation