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Despite the distance between Europe and the countries of the Indo-Pacific region, the development and strengthening of mutual cooperation are inevitable. The region plays a key role in the economic growth of the European Union and the EU is one of the most important partners in the region, said Kei Hakata, Professor at Seikei University, Tokyo, at the event series called MCC Budapest Lectures which was moderated by Csaba Moldicz, Head of the Center for International Economy, MCC.
The Indo-Pacific region covers a huge area, stated the Japanese expert. He explained that the region is responsible for 60 percent of the world's GDP, and it is home to half of the world's population, more than four billion people. Kei Hakata also pointed out that the name of the Indo-Pacific region has a strategic added value, which seeks to counter the rise of China. The origins of the name were then discussed, and the audience was informed that the term 'Indo-Pacific' is not new, but it has been used more and more frequently since it was reintroduced into the public consciousness. In the rest of the event, the relationship between the region and the EU was also discussed.
