On 12 April 2013, a Policy Conference on “Regional Cooperation on Maritime Security” took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The conference was co-organized by The Sea Lanes of Communication Study Group –Korea. The event, which brought together experts, academics and policy-makers from Europe and Asia, focussed on regional cooperation in the South China Sea, Arabic Sea, and between Europe and Asia. The aim of the conference was to discuss new arising challenges in Asia and the national maritime policies of key countries. More broadly, participants were asked to identify opportunities for closer cooperation between the European Union and Asia to ensure maritime security and avoid conflicts over the new sea lane through the Arctic region. Altogether, 33 experts from navies, the political sector and think tanks from Asia and Europe participated in the event.
The third presentation Strategic Shift towards Asia – A European Perspective was delivered by Colonel (ret.) Ralph Thiele. He stressed that everybody is speaking of the US pivot to Asia, but ignores that the EU has always been present in the region and is a key actor. Usually the policies of NATO and EU follow US-movements around five years later. But given the already existing presence, the EU can take a much more active stance this time.He emphasized that maritime security does not take place only on the water, but also at the space. Today’s navigation systems strongly rely on satellites. In this context Maritime Domain Awareness is a key topic and offers possibilities for a close practical cooperation