Carlos Mendez was an invited speaker at an EU-ASEAN workshop on regional policy which took place in Phnom Penn on 27-28 May 2009 as part of a wider ministerial meeting of the EU and members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The conference was organised to discuss the principles and practices of the European Union's policies for economic and social cohesion and the lessons for Asian countries which are facing growing socio-economic disparities and regional development challenges.
Carlos Mendez was invited by the European Commission to present the underlying principles of Cohesion policy. Other presentations made by officials from DG Regio covered urban policy, territorial cooperation, the growth and jobs agenda and the role of Cohesion policy in the development of the EU.