The International Institute for Youth Development PETRI – Sofia was represented at the EU-ASEAN Young Leaders Forum which took place in Brussels on 26 February 2018. The Youth Coordinator of PETRI – Sofia – Yuliya Andzhekarska had the opportunity to participate in this event, nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria (MFA). PETRI – Sofia and the MFA have a strong partnership in the field of youth empowerment and participation and PETRI – Sofia is currently working on the realization of the project “Youth Leadership for the Development and Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals“, funded by the Bulgarian Development Aid.

The young leaders who participated in the forum discussed the cooperation between the two regional integration organizations: the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in three main areas: political and security issues, economy, trade and business exchanges, and people-to-people contacts.

The Young Leaders Forum has resulted in concrete suggestions for decision-makers in the two regional organizations and there is a hope that it will become a recurring event, with participants selected to represent regions and specific expertise. A recurring theme in the day’s debates was how the EU and ASEAN could lead by example to address global challenges in an uncertain geopolitical context, how they could cooperate successfully for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and how they could contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the respective regions and globally.

For more information on the concrete recommendation developed by the young leaders, please follow the link: https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/association-southeast-asian-nations-asean/40499/eu-and-asean-young-leaders-address-shared-global-challenges_en