The European Union and South-east Asia bloc on Monday agreed to strengthen cooperation in reducing disaster risk, the EU's humanitarian aid commissioner said. "We live in the world where the frequency and intensity of disasters is on the increase," Kristalina Georgieva, the European commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, said in Jakarta. "We will work with ASEAN in building a stronger culture of understanding of risks," she said, referring to the Association of South-east Asian Nations. She spoke after meeting with Indonesian officials and ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA". Georgieva said the frequency of disasters had increased five times and the casualties up to 10 times since 1975. The Asia-Pacific region has suffered 91 per cent of the fatalities and 49 per cent of the damage caused by natural disasters in the past 30 years worldwide, she said. The EU said it will launch a new initiative worth 4 million euros to support ASEAN integration. The initiative will engage in "sectoral policy dialogue and knowledge development, drawing on relevant European and Asian experience and know-how," the EU said. ASEAN seeks to create an EU-style community by 2015.
