Speech By Minister for Transport and the Minister in Charge of Trade Relations Mr S Iswaran at the Signing of The ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement

His Excellency Mr Budi Karya Sumadi,

Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi,

Director-General Mr Henrik Hololei,

Ambassador Mr Jaroslav Doleček

Fellow ASEAN Transport Ministers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     Let me to begin by thanking Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation for hosting the 28^th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting in Bali, and in particular, today’s signing of this landmark agreement. 

2.     I would also like to thank our European colleagues who have made the trip to Bali to join us in person today.  In particular, I warmly welcome Director-General Henrik Hololei, a good friend of ASEAN, as well as Ambassador Doleček, representing the EU Presidency, as we mark another significant chapter in ASEAN-EU bilateral ties.

3.     The signing of this Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement is a watershed in ASEAN-EU relations, and indeed in the history of aviation liberalisation.  As the first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement, the ASEAN-EU CATA is unparalleled in breadth and scope. It covers a combined international aviation market of more than 1 billion people across 37 countries, spanning well-established hubs to the expanding airports in both Europe and Southeast Asia. We are not just making the usual commitments in opening market access, but also creating an institutional structure for long term cooperation in important areas like aviation safety, air traffic management and sustainability. 

4.     ASEAN and the EU share deep economic, political, and social ties, and there is great demand for greater air connectivity between our regions. The signing of this agreement today is especially opportune, as it will establish a liberalised air services framework in support of the recovery of aviation after the COVID-19 pandemic.  Beyond promoting traffic recovery, the ASEAN-EU CATA will open up new markets and promote deeper direct air connectivity between our two regions. 

5.     This agreement is a symbol of the partnership and cooperation forged between ASEAN and the EU over the years.  The EU has always been a valued partner of ASEAN in aviation. Under the ARISE Plus Civil Aviation Project, the EU has provided valuable technical assistance and capacity building to ASEAN on key aviation matters, promoting alignment with ICAO standards and recommended practices, in support of the development of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market.

6.     Another area of close cooperation between the EU and ASEAN is sustainability.  The EU-Southeast Asia Cooperation on CORSIA has supported the implementation of CORSIA in ASEAN.  With the adoption of the Long-Term Aspirational Goal for international aviation carbon emissions at the recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly as backdrop, we look forward to ASEAN working together with the EU to promote the sustainable development of aviation, including regular dialogue and information exchange on subjects like sustainable aviation fuels. 

7.     As we have heard, this agreement has been many years in the making, and I am glad we are now here, at the proverbial finishing line. I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to fellow ASEAN Member States and all our officials, including my Permanent Secretary and a team from the Ministry of Transport in Singapore, who have worked very hard and for your partnership and efforts to conclude this agreement. I would also like to extend our deepest appreciation to the European Commission and the EU Member States for your close cooperation and partnership. And finally, a special thanks to the ASEAN Secretariat for their steadfast support throughout this process and key interventions, which made this signing possible. 

8.     Once again, Congratulations to all and well done. Thank you.