‘A Decade of Trust and Cooperation between ASEAN, Germany and Europe’
Germany and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been development partners since 2016. In our exclusive interview, H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, talks about the deepened cooperation, which is supported by long-standing partners such as GIZ.
‘The ASEAN-Germany relationship has become broader, deeper and more human with each passing year.’
The ASEAN-Germany Development Partnership celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2026. Which highlights of the cooperation do you see as the most significant?
This is an important milestone year in the partnership between ASEAN and Germany. It is clear that based on a decade of achievements, progress and transformation between ASEAN and Germany, we can say that the relationship is based on trust, mutual respect, shared interest and a spirit of collaboration and cooperation.
If I may invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on what the numbers tell us, they reveal a story of a partnership that has quietly but steadily deepened over the past decade. In trade, investment and tourism alike, ASEAN-Germany ties have shown consistent momentum.
In 2024 alone, two-way trade in goods reached USD 67.2 billion, an increase of more than 11 per cent compared to 2014, placing Germany as the tenth largest trading partner of ASEAN. In investment, we see an equally telling evolution: from net disinvestment a decade ago to positive inflows of USD 1.9 billion in 2024, with Germany now ranking 16th amongst our investors.
And perhaps most visibly, people-to-people links continue to flourish, with more than 2.1 million German visitors travelling to ASEAN last year – a remarkable 23 per cent increase over the past decade. Taken together, these figures do not merely describe transactions; they reflect a relationship that has become broader, deeper and more human with each passing year.
ASEAN appreciates the contribution and support that Germany has extended to ASEAN, both collectively and individually to ASEAN Member States, in all the areas that we’ve been working together, including in human resource development, youth and capacity building. We’ve been working together on so many programmes. And by working together, we are able to see the value in each other and more importantly in the relationship that we have set up.
Are ASEAN-Germany relations becoming increasingly wide-ranging?
Yes, indeed. When we speak of ASEAN-Germany relations, we can confidently say that our cooperation is becoming more wide-ranging and multi-dimensional. Apart from trade, investment and tourism, connectivity has become the backbone of our partnership.
In air transport, for example, one landmark agreement is the ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement. It does not only strengthen physical connectivity between our regions, but also unlocks new opportunities for economic and people-to-people exchanges. At the same time, our partnership extends well beyond the realm of economics.
‘Germany has been proactive in supporting ASEAN, particularly in regard to the planet agenda.’
In the socio-cultural sphere, our cooperation in capacity building and human resource development continues to invest in the most important asset of all – our people, and the skills and talents that will shape our shared future.
We could say that Germany has been proactive in supporting ASEAN, particularly in regard to the planet agenda, specifically the environment sector. Germany has supported our participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – the last one in Brazil. This is a very significant aspect of our cooperation.
Our cooperation between ASEAN and Germany does not just rest entirely at the ASEAN-Germany level, we also work at the ASEAN-EU level through the ASEAN-EU framework cooperation as well. That’s where we build synergy, too.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional organisation comprising eleven countries in Southeast Asia, focused on political-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.
ASEAN was established in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, its membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Viet Nam and, most recently, Timor-Leste (East Timor).
The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Europe and the ASEAN states face many common challenges, and the geopolitical framework is changing rapidly. What role do Germany and Europe play for ASEAN?
I think Germany and Europe have been strong proponents and supporters of multilateralism — whether at the UN, the World Trade Organisation or other global institutions that have been set up for so many decades now. It is important that we play by the rules; that is also the ASEAN rule of engagement – to abide by international law. This is where ASEAN shares similar interests and goals with both Germany and Europe.
‘The world is so uncertain now, so unpredictable, and we should not contribute to this volatile and violent world today.’
The geopolitical framework right now is rapidly changing. It does not favour strong multilateralism; in fact it is weakening it. The role Germany and Europe could play for ASEAN is to remain true to its goals, vision and mission. Further, we must all ensure we do not retreat from the rules-based and open multilateral system, underpinned by international law. We should continue to work together. And we should remain important partners in that regard.
ASEAN, for its part, will have to ensure that it remains united so that it stays relevant. The challenge of the moment, for both ASEAN and the EU, is to ensure we continue to remain relevant in the evolving global geostrategic environment.
World peace, stability, security and development will be dependent on the predictability, certainty and the strengths of multilateralism. If we move away from that, then what do we stand on? The world is so uncertain now, so unpredictable, and we should not contribute to this volatile and violent world today. We must stick to what has guided all of us for so many years, for so many decades. We may not have perfect global institutions, but we must work together to reform, to improve, and to make them better, not to abandon them.
What significance does the long-standing cooperation with GIZ have in this context?
Indeed, GIZ has been one of the key actors, acting on behalf of the German Government, that has supported ASEAN for so many years. GIZ is a very important partner for us as GIZ works with various ASEAN institutions, including ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, the various ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, ASEAN Entities, civil societies, think tanks and other organisations.
‘GIZ has been one of the key actors, acting on behalf of the German Government, that has supported ASEAN for so many years.’
The long-standing cooperation has been significant because through cooperative activities, projects, programmes, we have built trust. We have built relations. We have also worked to strengthen government-to-government relations between ASEAN and Germany, and ASEAN and the EU. We have built further connections, such as people-to-people relations between ASEAN and Germany, and private sector to private sector partnerships, particularly through the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and the Chamber of Commerce in Germany.
I would say GIZ, along with many other important German foundations that have offices across the ASEAN Member States, is part of the German fabric of key institutions that have been working side by side, closely with ASEAN and ASEAN Member States and ASEAN Entities. That’s why we have solid long-standing relations, cooperation and partnership between ASEAN and Germany. We should continue to build on the achievements and at the same time to maintain the momentum of cooperation between the two sides.
Maritime security is a key issue in the Indo-Pacific region. How do you assess the current role of the ASEAN states in this area?
ASEAN is a maritime region, or maritime community. With the exception of Lao PDR, all the other ten ASEAN Member States are maritime nations. We have identified maritime cooperation as one of the key areas for cooperation. Here, ASEAN has put forward its own framework of cooperation under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). And we have invited partners, including Germany and the EU, to support and work with ASEAN. We understand that the EU and Germany also have their own Indo-Pacific strategy. I think we should work together under the AOIP framework, specifically on maritime cooperation.
Do you see more potential for strong cooperation with partners such as Germany and the EU?
Yes, we should, and we can, do more. For example, ASEAN has already laid the foundations for a credible and forward-looking blue economy agenda. We have established the ASEAN Coordinating Task Force on Blue Economy and launched the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework in 2023. The task before us now is clear – to translate frameworks into real actions. Just last year, the Task Force endorsed the ASEAN Blue Economy Implementation Plan 2026–2030, which provides a practical road map to unlock the full potential of our oceans, seas and rivers – across our physical, financial, human, natural and social capital.
Equally important, we are building this agenda through partnership and dialogue with different partners that wish to work with ASEAN. The annual ASEAN Blue Economy Forum, now convened three times already, has become a valuable platform for bringing together policy-makers, business leaders, thought leaders, researchers and civil society to turn ideas into cooperation, and cooperation into impact. There are so many areas of cooperation under maritime cooperation. Let us identify where we can have the best approach to cooperate in this area of mutual interest.
In which areas do you see the greatest need for cooperation?
For ASEAN, there are a number of areas that we should work together. One set of priorities is in the areas of peace, stability and security. ASEAN has never taken peace for granted. That’s why we have the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and other key documents.
Another key area is digitalisation and digital transformations; we are negotiating what is expected to be the world’s first most comprehensive, region-wide digital economy agreement and expected to expand the region’s digital economy.
At the same time, regional coordination is equally very important, particularly as we move to implement the four strategic plans under ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, which will require strong and effective coordination across all pillars.
Governance and the rule of law are also areas that ASEAN continues to advance. In this regard, we hope to work more closely with Germany and GIZ in these two areas.
GIZ supports the ASEAN Secretariat and Member States toward a green and resilient region, prioritising sustainable development and regional integration. Working for the German Government, GIZ strengthens rules-based cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Key focus areas include climate action, energy transition, sustainable economic development, circular economy and regional security. Through regional programmes, policy support and practical systematic interventions, GIZ contributes to a stable, inclusive and more sustainable future for Southeast Asia.
Contact: GIZ