Asia and Europe rediscover each other at ASEM
Asia and Europe rediscover each other at ASEM
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat
BANGKOK (JP): Asia and Europe began a process of rediscovering one another yesterday as 25 leaders from the two regions gathered for a historic two-day summit.
"We are assembled here with one common purpose. To create a dynamic new linkage and form a new partnership," Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa said as he opened the Asia-Europe Meeting.
For some time the two sides have been too busy with their respective priorities to maintain close contacts, he said. But this "rediscovery" will help forge a meaningful partnership for the future, he added.
The summit is being held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center and attended by leaders from the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations along with China, Japan and South Korea.
President Soeharto was among the 25 leaders, though he did not make a speech. He was seated at the same table with Banharn, European Commission President Jacques Santer and Italian Prime Minister Lamberto Dini.
There was little fanfare at the opening ceremony, which was held under extremely tight security.
Dini, who spoke on behalf of the European side, said in his opening address that international problems can only be controlled if there is a high level of cooperation.
He expressed his hope that the Bangkok summit would mark the initial steps to correlating perceptions, which he called a prerequisite for collaboration.
"So far the dialog between Europe and Asia has fallen short of what we could have achieved together. Our relations have fallen behind and the time has come to make up the lost ground," Dini said.
"Today's meeting must first and foremost prepare the ground for a deeper understanding of the problems of the two areas," he added, describing the summit as a high profile instrument for the construction of a new Asia-Europe relationship.
Santer in his address pointed out some of the major points the leaders have to cooperate on to jointly shape the future.
The first is to ensure the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system.
Second is the intensification of science and technological cooperation along with efforts to create a global information society.
Santer then stressed the need to work on environmental conservation by developing policies to sustain the planet's resources.
He then went on to note the importance of poverty alleviation and access to health and education.
"European and Asian participants should join as partners to help the less developed countries in Asia and the least favored groups in society to share in the increasing prosperity of the region as a whole," Santer said.
He added that a meaningful cultural dialog must also be developed to help the people of the two regions better understand and respect each other and their cultures.