国际英语新闻:Britain to open ASEAN representative office in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Britain will open a representative office in Indonesia to enhance relations with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a senior British official said on Thursday.

The ASEAN representative office was part of Britain's drive to enhance cooperation with economies worldwide after Brexit, Permanent Under-Secretary at Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sir Simon McDonald said.

"Our focus in the last 45 years has been set in Europe. In the future we would not entirely leave Europe, we would apply our more-opening drive to the whole world, including to ASEAN country members," McDonald said on the sidelines of the meeting with ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Politics and Security Affairs Hoang Anh Tuan.

McDonald said Britain's representative office for ASEAN would start operation this year after an ambassador is appointed to carry out the assignments.