The Development of Strategic Cooperation Between the EU and ASEAN between 2017–2023 from a Neorealist perspective

The thesis analyzes the development of strategic cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 2017 to 2023 through the lens of neorealist theory in international relations. The primary objective of the thesis is to evaluate the extent to which the relations between these regional actors align with the theoretical expectations of neorealism and how effectively neorealist tools contribute to predicting the future development of these relations. The theoretical part focuses on the key principles of neorealism as formulated by Kenneth Waltz, John Mearsheimer, and other prominent theorists in the field. The practical part is divided into two sections: the first places ASEAN in the context of power politics in Southeast Asia, while the second presents a case study that contrasts the declared promises associated with elevating EU–ASEAN relations to a strategic level with an analysis of the economic and security realities of this cooperation. The thesis also identifies the main barriers to deeper integration between the two blocs, particularly those stemming from differing value-based approaches to issues such as human rights, free trade, and climate policy. The research findings reveal that the elevation of cooperation to a strategic level had little tangible impact on the EU–ASEAN relationship. The thesis concludes, however, that the causes of this failure do not lie in structural issues, as neorealism would suggest, but rather in value-based differences. Based on these findings, it concludes that neorealist theory is insufficient for understanding the political development of these two actors