Strategic Autonomy: European and Southeast Asian Perspectives
Workshop in collaboration with the Vietnamese Embassy in Vienna
Jun 10, 2026 / Wien / Indo-Pacific
On June 10, 2026, AIES, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Embassy in Vienna, hosted an expert workshop titled “Strategic Autonomy: European and Southeast Asian Perspectives – Comparing Concepts, Practices, and Potential for Cooperation.”
The workshop featured H.E. Dr. Vu Le Thai Hoang, Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria, and Prof. Alfred Gerstl of Palacký University Olomouc and Senior Advisor to AIES. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Werner Fasslabend, President of AIES. The workshop was moderated by Michael Zinkanell-Süss, Director of AIES.
The discussion focused on how strategic autonomy is understood and implemented in Europe and Southeast Asia, and identified opportunities for mutual learning and cooperation. A common starting point was the growing competition among major powers, which poses a challenge for both regions in maintaining and expanding their room for maneuver.
A comparison of regional approaches revealed both commonalities and structural differences. ASEAN is based on consensus and non-interference as fundamental principles, whereas the EU has a significantly higher degree of integration, which is increasingly extending to the defense sector. For Vietnam, strategic autonomy was described as an active policy objective that views internal strength and multilateral engagement as complementary elements.
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