Brussels Indo-Pacific Forum 2022

The Brussels Indo-Pacific Forum* aims to provide a unique platform for experts and policymakers to discuss Europe’s role in the Indo-Pacific and bring the Indo-Pacific security debate to the European capital. In light of the evolving debate inside and outside Europe, the inaugural edition of the Forum will put the spotlight on the EU’s tightening relations with like-minded regional partners, explore the trends and possible contribution to the security and defence, and delve into the prospects for technological and economic cooperation.

The Forum is convened by the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG-VUB), which has established itself as a leading reference for informing academic and policy debates on the Indo-Pacific in Brussels through its Korea Chair and Japan Chair. In this year’s edition of the Forum, CSDS will partner with the European Union (EU) on the basis of the Indo-Pacific Futures Platform (INFORM), a two-year project supported by the EU that seeks to develop a common reflection on future challenges impacting the region. Its main deliverable is the publication of two studies on security and digitalisation trends respectively in the Indo-Pacific. The discussions to be held at the Forum will feed into the reports, which will be published at the end of the year. Furthermore, CSDS will use the opportunity to announce the establishment of a Japan Chair, bearing witness to the significant political, economic and strategic rapprochement between the two like-minded partners and setting the scene for closer and more substantive cooperation in the years to come.

(*) This event was held in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Belgium.