CSCAP EU inaugural meeting

The first meeting of the CSCAP EU full committee was held on 19 March in Brussels and was attended by nearly forty committee members: experts from various European think tanks, as well as officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS) in a private capacitiy. Besides officially inaugurating the EU membership of CSCAP, the aim of the meeting was also to discuss and agree on the direction and concrete working methods of the committee. The panel was chaired by the Director of the EUISS and Chair of the CSCAP EU Committee, Antonio Missiroli, and included, among others, the Managing Director of the Asia and the Pacific Department of the EEAS Viorel Isticioaia-Budura, who welcomed the initiative as part of EU’s broader efforts to reengage with East Asia. An invaluable contribution was made by Tang Siew Mun, the Head of the CSCAP Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, who familiarised the committee with CSCAP procedures and working methods.