KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -The European Union is “advancing” in negotiations with the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia on new free trade agreements, its trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday.

Sefcovic was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting in Kuala Lumpur between the economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the bloc’s trading partners.

The EU wants to expand its trade ties beyond existing free trade agreements with Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.

The EU and Indonesia concluded a free trade agreement on Tuesday after nine years of talks, with both aiming to boost exports and investment and to offset the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“We have advanced very well in our free trade negotiations with Thailand, with the Philippi

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