Committee on Security and Defence ΙΙ (SEDE ΙΙ) Rough waters run deep as well: The EU’s recent strategy on the Indo-Pacific outlines the importance of the region for addressing global challenges and shaping the foreign policy agenda of the EU. With its significance and current geopolitical tensions in the region, how should the EU further shape its activities within and beyond the EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific? By Yiannis Papadopoulos (GR) and Frederik Reiff (DE)
1. Background and relevance
The Indo-Pacific region is a geopolitical area that extends between two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Stretching from the west coast of the United States to the west coast of India, the Indo-Pacific is a 24 nations52 regional framework comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia. The EU is a power that sees big interest in the region, due to the fact that the Union and most of the Indo-Pacific countries are natural partners. This is evidenced by the fact that the EU is 52
Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, United States, Vietnam. 68
