ASEM aims to narrow cultural devide

ASEM aims to narrow cultural devide

Agence France-Presse, Singapore/Copenhagen

Asian leaders are aiming to narrow a cultural divide and seek greater market access for their products at a summit with their European Union (EU) counterparts in Denmark next week.

"I think that Asia better understands Europe than Europe understands Asia," Delfin Colome, head of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), told AFP.

Myanmar, a perennial thorn in relations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is officially not on this year's agenda which is expected to be dominated by the fight against terrorism, developments on the Korean Peninsula and trade and economic concerns.

Malaysia and Indonesia are key Muslim nations in Southeast Asia, a region said to be the second front in the global fight against terrorism, while Muslim rebel groups in the Philippines have been linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network.

Although Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad will be in Copenhagen, the presidents of Indonesia and the Philippines, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Gloria Arroyo are staying home, their offices said.

Indonesia is represented by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, who is currently already in Copenhagen.

A Singapore-based diplomat said that with the U.S. still beating the drums of war against Iraq, despite Baghdad's decision to readmit UN weapons inspectors, the Sept. 22-24 summit should send a "political message" opposing unilateralist tendencies by Washington.

On the summit sidelines, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will brief South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung on his recent path-breaking visit to Stalinist North Korea and meetings with Pyongyang's reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il.

The North Korean trip is "a very important development in the Asian political spectrum so Japan will explain what happened at the general meeting and listen to the opinions of other members," Koizumi's deputy press secretary Misako Kaji said.

Japan's Kyodo news said Koizumi would also propose an Asian- European meeting to discuss World Trade Organization issues next spring in Japan.

South Korea's Kim is to call for international help for peace on the Korean peninsula in an address to ASEM, his aides said.

Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji is also attending the ASEM which covers the 15 EU members and 10 East Asian states -- China, Japan and South Korea as well as ASEAN members Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expects to raise the Thai-sponsored Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), regional security, cooperation on terrorism and drugs and tariff barriers.

The Philippines is expected push for lower EU tariffs on tuna exports.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will aim to strengthen Hanoi's ties with the EU on economics, trade and investment, while Singapore has a proposal for a free trade agreement with the EU.

World issues and domestic concerns aside, diplomats said the EU and Asian leaders should use the biennial summit, launched in 1996 to bring the two continents closer together, to take stock of their relations.

"I think this is the moment to make an inventory of what's happening in Asia-Europe ties. It's good to see how things are evolving," said Colome from ASEF, a Singapore-based foundation under ASEM tasked with helping bridge the inter-continental gap through cultural and intellectual activities.

Colome said Europe's current view of Asia has been focussed largely on China and the market of 1.2 billion people it offers.

"In Europe, Asia continues to be something exotic. But I am confident that globalization is going to overcome this... When people lose this exotic character, dialogue becomes easier," he said.

Danish Ambassador to Singapore Jorgen Ostrom Moller pointed to Asia looking mainly towards the United States, its traditional export market, rather than Europe.

In Copenhagen, trade and economy ministers from the 15-member European Union and 10 Asian countries gathered on Thursday to deepen and broaden economic ties between the two continents.

"It is my sincere hope that this meeting will contribute to strengthening cooperation and flows of trade and investments between our regions," Danish European Affairs Minister Bertel Haarder told delegates at the opening ceremony.

Denmark currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency and is hosting the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which is to cover political, economic and cultural developments.

Thursday's talks were to focus on economic ties, and came ahead of a summit of heads of state and governments starting Monday.