An economically struggling European Union (EU) wants closer economic ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to overcome economic downturn, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said here on Monday.

Pitsuwan told media that ASEAN countries should open up to foreign investors after meeting with an EU trade delegation ahead of the 20th ASEAN Summit.

"Despite the economic uncertainty experienced globally, the EU has been a very important economic partner and is ASEAN's second- largest trading partner after China," he said.

He was referring to trade with the EU that reached 208 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, accounting for 10.2 percent of ASEAN's total trade that year.

In terms of investment, Surin said the EU had been ASEAN's largest investor, pouring around 17 billion U.S. dollars into the region in 2010, accounting for more than 23 percent of total foreign direct investment.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said on Sunday that Europe was keen to work with ASEAN members as 90 percent of growth would happen outside his own region.

"A huge proportion of that growth will happen in the ASEAN region. Far from seeing this as a threat, we Europeans see this stunning growth in Asia as part of the solution to our economic challenge," he emphasized, adding that steps have been taken to forge free trade agreements with Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Around 300 business leaders and public policy-makers from ASEAN and Europe gathered during the Summit to discuss bilateral trade relations, while identifying new business and investment opportunities.

Xinhua