The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, attended the 25th ASEAN–European Union Ministerial Meeting (AEMM), held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on April 27th and 28th, 2026. 
The biennial meeting brought together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the ASEAN member states and the European Union, as well as representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat, to assess the current state of ASEAN-EU dialogue relations and to set out guidelines for deepening the strategic partnership between the two regions.
During the meeting, participants reviewed progress in ASEAN-EU cooperation, including the implementation of the ASEAN-EU Action Plan (2023–2027), which covers initiatives in sustainable connectivity, digital transformation, energy transition, education, trade, and investment. The delegations also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest, emphasising the importance of multilateralism and a rules-based international order.
The meeting also addressed preparations for the 50th-anniversary celebration of ASEAN–European Union dialogue relations, to be marked in 2027, and the adoption of the Joint Ministerial Declaration, which reaffirms ASEAN’s centrality and the commitment to strengthening cooperation across the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, in line with the ASEAN Vision 2045.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas held bilateral meetings with counterparts from ASEAN and European Union member states to strengthen bilateral relations and identify areas of mutual interest for cooperation.