On 19 December 2018, Malaysia in its capacity as the Chair of ASEAN Community in Paris (ACP) hosted Mr. Jean-Baptiste de Boissière, the French Special Envoy to ASEAN who had arrived from Singapore and Indonesia for a fact-finding mission. The debriefing session was held at the Residence of the Ambassador of Myanmar.
Mr. Boissière was appointed as France’s first Special Envoy to ASEAN on 1 October 2018. He reports directly to the Head of Asia Department of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Thierry Mathou. It marks an historic shift in France’s engagement with the regional body as France is not part of ASEAN Dialogue Partners.
The debriefing underlined the French approach towards ASEAN as well as the projection of its commitment towards the region. In the wake of France’s announcement of the Indo-Pacific Axis and its sparring assertion as an Indo Pacific Power, the luncheon with Boissière gives a hint of where France is heading in its strategic engagement in the region.
