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Third Asia-Europe Meeting Ends Amid Calls for More Cooperation
The third Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) concluded Saturday morning in Seoul after two days of extensive discussions over the future cooperation between the two continents in the first decade of the new century.
During the two-day meeting, 26 heads of state or government or their representatives from Asia and Europe reviewed the progress made since the second ASEM meeting in 1998 in London and presented their visions over enhanced Asian-European cooperation in the political, economic, and cultural and social areas.
Prior to the conclusion ceremony, the leaders adopted the Chairman's Statement, which summaries the results of the Seoul meeting, and the Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework 2000, which outlines a roadmap for cooperation between the two continents in the first 10 years of the 21st century.
On Friday morning, at the first of the three closed-door sessions, the leaders also endorsed the Declaration on Peace on the Korean Peninsula.
In an address at the closing ceremony, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung urged Asian and European leaders to step up efforts to "realize peace and stability for all humanity by taking the global issues one by one, including poverty and environmental degradation."
He said the two continents had made a major step forward in their march to forge a genuine partnership for prosperity and stability in the new millennium by refining the objectives and the vision of ASEM for the 21st century and pledging a viable Asia-Europe partnership in their common quest to bring about prosperity and stability.
As the host of the fourth ASEM meeting in 2002 in Copenhagen, Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen stressed the importance of globalization despite some concerns about its adverse effects.
"We know that many people are worried about the changes coming from globalization," Rasmussen said. "We cannot eliminate globalization, but as responsible leaders we could take common action to change uncertainty into security for our citizens."
The Danish premier said that ASEM should serve as a forum for dialogue on how to create and promote advantages from international trade in globalized world.
Rasmussen also called for efforts to overcome the digital divide and the information gap between rich and poor citizens and countries, to secure increased transparency and a code of conduct and enhanced cooperation between international financial institutions.
The Seoul meeting were attended by leaders of 25 ASEM member countries and the European Union.
The 10 Asian ASEM members are Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while the 16 European members are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Britain, and the European Union.
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