S'pore to host AMED meeting

S'pore to host AMED meeting

SINGAPORE: Singapore announced on Tuesday that it would host an
inaugural meeting of officials and other influential figures from
Asia and the Middle East next year to boost regional links and
counter Islamic extremism.

Acting Foreign Minister Raymond Lim told parliament that the
first Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED) is scheduled to be held
over two days in June 2005 with participants drawn from some 50
countries.

"The aim is to forge closer political, security, economic and
socio-cultural relations between peoples of the two regions," Lim
said.

Government officials, academics, religious leaders and other
opinion makers will be invited to take part, said Lim, who
stressed that the dialogue would not be a one-off gathering.

Egypt has offered to host the second meeting in 2006 and
Bahrain has expressed interest in hosting a future meeting, he
said.

The dialog will provide a platform to highlight the changes
taking place in the Middle East to eastern Asia and the rest of
the world, as well as the framework for eastern Asia and the
Middle East to interact more intensively, Lim said. --AFP