ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting Concludes With Positive Results:TangThe Third ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Foreign Ministers' Meeting concluded Friday with "fruitful results, " said Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.Using the theme "Strengthening the Asia-Europe partnership in the new century," the two-day meeting was convened in "a friendly atmosphere and in a pragmatic manner," Tang said at a press conference Friday afternoon. Foreign ministers from 25 ASEM member states and the EU External Relations Commissioner reached a consensus on a wide range of international and regional issues. They stressed that both Asia and Europe should push forward their cooperation both in depth and width in the new century, and make it an important factor in forming a new international political and economic order. The topic of the meeting covered three major areas -- political dialogue, economic and trade cooperation, and social and cultural exchanges. The meeting has helped strengthen Asia-Europe political relations, Tang said, as foreign ministers at the meeting proposed to set up a U.N. affairs consultation mechanism. The meeting helped strengthen economic and trade cooperation as it confirmed several cooperation proposals on economic cooperation, trade, finance, the environment, science and technology. The meeting also helped enlarge Asia-Europe cooperative fields. The ministers stressed at the meeting the significance of enhancing cooperation in the areas of society, culture, education, human resources, the environment and judicial system. The Chairman's Statement, adopted at the meeting, reflected the common desire of both Asia and Europe in conducting cooperation in political dialogue, economy and trade, finance, science and technology, environmental issues, education and cracking down on cross-border crimes, Tang said. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |