Deputy PM Bettel Attends Informal EU Foreign Affairs Council on Trade

On Friday 18 October 2024, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, participated in the informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in its “Trade” configuration, which was held in Budapest.

The informal meeting began with a discussion on trade relations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Having participated in the ASEAN Summit in Laos a week ago, Minister Bettel stressed the importance of trade relations between the EU and ASEAN, while stressing the need not to neglect the political dimensions: “We have deep friendly relations with the ASEAN member countries that we must further develop. In this context, in addition to our trade, we must also ensure that we promote political dialogue with this group of countries, especially in a global context marked by rising geopolitical tensions."

Regarding the postponement of the implementation of the Deforestation Regulation, Minister Bettel acknowledged the need to continue the dialogue with ASEAN member countries, while acknowledging that the international community has committed to significant climate objectives which should not forgotten.

The EU Trade Ministers then turned their attention to EU-China trade relations. In his intervention, Minister Bettel called for finding the right balance in EU-China trade relations: "We must establish a balanced, reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship in our trade relations with China. Although China is not always the easiest partner, or even a competitor, we must avoid tariff escalation with them."

On the sidelines of the informal council meeting, Minister Bettel also had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó. The topics of discussion included current European and international political affairs, the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the situation in Ukraine.