EU sees Korea as 'trusted partner' in evolving Indo-Pacific strategy

Maria Castillo Fernandez said the European Union has focused its Indo-Pacific strategy on security, economic security and climate action in response to a changing security landscape. She described Korea as a trusted partner with potential to deepen cooperation across all three priorities. Fernandez urged continued Korean support for Ukraine and closer energy cooperation, and said Korea and the EU oppose the weaponization of trade. She also pointed to the Korea-EU Competitiveness Partnership as a platform for consultations on trade and economic security.

The EU launched its Indo-Pacific strategy in 2021, and Fernandez said it initially covered a broad range of areas.

The strategy’s security priority includes maritime security, freedom of navigation and protection of critical maritime infrastructure from hybrid threats.

Fernandez said the EU is expanding its free trade agreement network and partnerships in digital technologies and critical raw materials to support resilient supply chains.

The Korea-EU Competitiveness Partnership was established at a Korea-EU summit in Brussels in June, according to Fernandez.

The EU is discussing potential joint projects with Korean development agencies in Indo-Pacific countries, including work on digitalization, forestry management and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Published Oct 23, 2026 12:00 pm KST

Special envoy welcomes Korea's humanitarian support for Ukraine, calls for more

Maria Castillo Fernandez, the European Union's special envoy for the Indo-Pacific, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the EU Delegation in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of the Delegation of the European Union to Korea

The European Union (EU) has sharpened its Indo-Pacific strategy around three core priorities — security, economic security and climate action — as geopolitical tensions reshape the bloc’s approach to the region, according to the EU special envoy.

Maria Castillo Fernandez, European External Action Service's Special Envoy of the European Union for the Indo-Pacific, said the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy, launched in 2021, initially covered a broad range of areas but has since grown more focused in response to a changing security landscape.

"Security in Europe is interconnected to what is happening on security in the Indo-Pacific," she said, pointing to military cooperation between Russia, China and North Korea. The first pillar also includes maritime security, freedom of navigation and protection of critical maritime infrastructure from hybrid threats — concerns that have grown more urgent following recent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.

The second pillar is economic security. "It is important to access raw materials in a reliable and sustainable way to maintain the supply chains' resilience," she said. For this, the EU has been expanding its free trade agreement network and partnerships in digital technologies and critical raw materials.

The third pillar focuses on the climate agenda, closely linked to the blue economy, which refers to the range of economic activities associated with the oceans and seas. Small island nations in the Pacific are particularly vulnerable to climate change, while many countries in the Indian Ocean face the threat of losing parts of their territory due to rising sea levels.

"Climate agenda is linked to ocean governance, to maritime resources management (and) to all the very strong climate crisis," added Castillo Fernandez.

Calling on Korea over Ukraine issue

Castillo Fernandez called Korea a "trusted partner," saying there is significant potential for the EU to deepen cooperation with Korea across the three pillars.

"Korea is a partner that respects the rule of law and a rules-based international order," she said.

Her experience serving as the EU ambassador to Korea for around five years until August 2025 has helped her broaden cooperation with other countries, as Korea has already set a clear example of how stronger partnerships can be built.

"Korea was certainly one of the examples of things we can do for stronger partnerships in the Indo-Pacific."

However, she also highlighted areas where Korea could play a greater role, particularly in security.

"Whatever happens in Ukraine is very important for us," she said. "We are always grateful to our closest partners who have been following our sanctions and supporting Ukraine as much as they could."

With winter approaching and Russia continuing to bombard Ukraine's energy infrastructure on a daily basis, Castillo Fernandez called for continued support, stressing that helping Ukraine means helping Europe.

"I've seen Korea has put efforts on Ukraine on the humanitarian side and that has helped to alleviate the difficulties of the Ukrainian people. So whatever they can do is welcome."

Given that the war in Ukraine is also causing all of Europe to suffer an energy crisis, the special envoy underscored the importance of further cooperation in energy, particularly in making it more affordable for households and strengthening electricity grids to accommodate the growing use of renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power.

Against weaponization of trade

Against the growing trade tensions and the Trump administration's tariff policies, Castillo Fernandez stressed the need to uphold the rules-based international trading system.

"Korea and the EU are both speaking out against the weaponization of trade," she said, while underlining that necessary reforms should be made in a way that respects the established international trade rules under the World Trade Organization.

She also underscored the importance of honoring existing free trade agreements rather than imposing new tariffs unilaterally, an apparent reference to the U.S. Donald Trump administration's tariff measures. Pointing to the newly established Korea-EU Competitiveness Partnership that was made during Korea-EU summit held in Brussels in June, she said the initiative would serve as a platform for regular consultations on emerging trade and economic security challenges.

Since Korea is a technological leader, the special envoy believes its expertise could benefit the broader Indo-Pacific region. The EU is already in discussions with Korean development agencies on potential joint projects in third countries across the Indo-Pacific region, she said.

"We can complement each other's efforts in supporting less developed countries and work together on digitalization, forestry management and the transition to a low-carbon economy," she said.

Looking ahead, Castillo Fernandez stressed that the strong ties between Korea and the EU should never be taken for granted, emphasizing that sustaining the partnership requires continued commitment from both sides.

"It requires a lot of will and efforts. We are maintaining it, and we are doing it now," she said.

玛丽亚·卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯表示，为应对不断变化的安全形势，欧盟已将印太战略的重点放在安全、经济安全和气候行动上。她称韩国是值得信赖的伙伴，具有深化在上述三大优先事项领域合作的潜力。费尔南德斯敦促韩国继续支持乌克兰，并加强能源合作。她表示，韩国和欧盟都反对将贸易武器化。她还指出，韩欧竞争力伙伴关系是就贸易和经济安全问题进行磋商的平台。

欧盟于 2021 年启动了印太战略，费尔南德斯表示，该战略最初涵盖了广泛的领域。

该战略的安全重点包括海上安全、航行自由以及保护关键海上基础设施免受混合威胁。

费尔南德斯表示，欧盟正在扩大其在数字技术和关键原材料领域的自由贸易协定网络和合作伙伴关系，以支持具有韧性的供应链。

据费尔南德斯称，韩欧竞争力伙伴关系是在6月于布鲁塞尔举行的韩欧峰会上建立的。

欧盟正在与韩国发展机构探讨在印度-太平洋国家开展潜在联合项目，包括数字化、森林管理和向低碳经济转型等方面的工作。

发布于2026年10月23日韩国时间下午12:00

特使欢迎韩国对乌克兰的人道主义援助，并呼吁韩国提供更多援助。

欧盟印太事务特使玛丽亚·卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯周四在首尔欧盟代表团接受《韩国时报》采访。图片由欧盟驻韩国代表团提供。

欧盟特使表示，随着地缘政治紧张局势重塑欧盟对该地区的态度，欧盟已围绕安全、经济安全和气候行动这三大核心优先事项，加强了其印太战略。

欧洲对外行动署负责印太事务的欧盟特使玛丽亚·卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯表示，欧盟于 2021 年启动的印太战略最初涵盖了广泛的领域，但此后随着安全形势的变化，该战略的重点变得更加集中。

她指出，欧洲安全与印太地区的安全息息相关，并提及俄罗斯、中国和朝鲜之间的军事合作。她还表示，第一支柱还包括海上安全、航行自由以及保护关键海上基础设施免受混合威胁——鉴于霍尔木兹海峡近期的紧张局势，这些问题变得更加紧迫。霍尔木兹海峡是全球石油和液化天然气的重要通道。

第二大支柱是经济安全。“以可靠且可持续的方式获取原材料对于维持供应链的韧性至关重要，”她说道。为此，欧盟一直在扩大其在数字技术和关键原材料领域的自由贸易协定网络和合作伙伴关系。

第三支柱聚焦于气候议程，这与蓝色经济密切相关。蓝色经济指的是与海洋相关的各种经济活动。太平洋上的小岛国尤其容易受到气候变化的影响，而印度洋上的许多国家则面临着因海平面上升而失去部分领土的威胁。

卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯补充说：“气候议程与海洋治理、海洋资源管理以及所有非常严峻的气候危机都息息相关。”

呼吁韩国就乌克兰问题采取行动

卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯称韩国是“值得信赖的伙伴”，并表示欧盟与韩国在三大支柱领域深化合作具有巨大潜力。

“韩国是一个尊重法治和基于规则的国际秩序的伙伴，”她说。

她曾担任欧盟驻韩国大使约五年（直至 2025 年 8 月），这段经历帮助她扩大了与其他国家的合作，因为韩国已经树立了如何建立更牢固伙伴关系的明确榜样。

“韩国无疑是我们加强印太地区伙伴关系的一个例证。”

然而，她也强调了韩国可以在哪些领域发挥更大作用，尤其是在安全领域。

她说：“乌克兰局势的走向对我们来说至关重要。我们始终感谢那些遵守我们的制裁措施并尽其所能支持乌克兰的亲密伙伴。”

随着冬季临近，俄罗斯继续每天轰炸乌克兰的能源基础设施，卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯呼吁继续提供支持，并强调帮助乌克兰就是帮助欧洲。

“我看到韩国在人道主义方面对乌克兰做出了努力，这有助于缓解乌克兰人民的困境。所以，无论他们能做什么，我们都欢迎。”

鉴于乌克兰战争也导致整个欧洲遭受能源危机，特使强调了进一步加强能源合作的重要性，尤其是在降低家庭能源成本和加强电网建设方面，以适应包括太阳能和风能在内的可再生能源日益增长的使用。

反对贸易武器化

面对日益紧张的贸易局势和特朗普政府的关税政策，卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯强调，有必要维护以规则为基础的国际贸易体系。

“韩国和欧盟都在公开反对贸易武器化，”她说道，同时强调，必要的改革应该以尊重世界贸易组织既定国际贸易规则的方式进行。

她还强调，应尊重现有的自由贸易协定，而不是单方面加征新的关税，这显然是指美国特朗普政府的关税措施。她指出，韩欧在6月于布鲁塞尔举行的峰会上建立了新的“竞争力伙伴关系”，并表示该伙伴关系将为就新出现的贸易和经济安全挑战进行定期磋商提供平台。

鉴于韩国在科技领域处于领先地位，这位特使认为其专业技术可以惠及更广泛的印太地区。她表示，欧盟已与韩国发展机构就印太地区其他国家的潜在联合项目展开磋商。

她表示：“我们可以互相补充，共同支持欠发达国家，并在数字化、森林管理和向低碳经济转型方面开展合作。”

展望未来，卡斯蒂略·费尔南德斯强调，韩国与欧盟之间的牢固关系绝不能被视为理所当然，并强调维持这种伙伴关系需要双方的持续承诺。

“这需要很大的意志力和努力。我们正在坚持，而且现在就在这样做，”她说。