The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to ASEAN is one of 140 diplomatic missions that represent the EU across the globe. It was established on 8 August 2015, reflecting the EU’s growing engagement with ASEAN. The EU Delegation to ASEAN is based in Jakarta. Its overall purpose is to contribute to enhancing the strategic partnership that exists between the EU and ASEAN. EU-ASEAN relations date back to 1977 when official “Dialogue Relations” began. In 2020, the EU and ASEAN reached an important milestone in their longstanding relationship by becoming Strategic Partners. This elevates their partnership with a commitment to regular summits at the leaders’ level. The EU Delegation to ASEAN is headed by an Ambassador who coordinates the EU's expanding relations and cooperation with ASEAN. H.E. Francisco Fontan Pardo was the first dedicated EU Ambassador to ASEAN (2015-2019) and H.E. Igor Driesmans (2019-2023) . He is succeeded by H.E. Sujiro Seam.