Brussels, 20/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - The 10th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) concluded its work in Milan on Friday 17 October on the promise from the leaders of its member countries (now numbering 51 with the arrival of Croatia and Kazakhstan) to promote economic and financial cooperation, thanks to better connectivity between the two continents. The ASEM leaders also committed to strengthening their cooperation to promote regional and international peace and security.
As regards the economy, the European and Asian leaders reaffirmed the importance of economic and financial reforms for “stable and balanced growth”. While the Asian economies have shown strong resilience and remain an engine for globalisation, in Europe structural reforms are proving crucial for ensuring medium-term growth, the leaders stated in a final statement from European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who chaired the summit in Milan.
The ASEM leaders also agreed to strengthen the connectivity between the two continents, taking the example of the experience of the governance of the EU single market and the implementation of the master plan on ASEAN connectivity. They tasked their experts with studying approaches and concrete measures to improve the Europe-Asia connectivity in all relevant areas, including the implementation of a working group on connectivity. They stressed the importance of digital connectivity as “a key element of modern society's infrastructures”.
Deploring the non-ratification within the deadline of the WTO agreement on the facilitation of trade, which was completed in Bali at the end of 2013, the ASEM leaders called on “all the WTO member countries to undertake efforts” to put the Bali round back on track so as to ensure a successful conclusion to the talks.
The ASEM leaders also called for cooperation to be strengthened on technology and innovation, and to promote the joint development and deployment of clean technologies. In this context, they hailed the initiatives to liberalise trade in environmental goods and services.
In the security arena, ASEM leaders are committed to enhancing cooperation to promote international peace and security by emphasising the peace process in the Middle East, Libya, Syria and Iraq, as well as the threats posed by Islamic State and international terrorism. They also reaffirmed their commitment to the peaceful settlement of maritime territorial conflicts, which involve ASEM forum countries in the South and East China Sea.
Van Rompuy explained to the press that in order to respond to global challenges such as climate change, the Ebola virus, radical Islam and terrorism, the ASEM partnership is, “more relevant than ever”. Commission President, José Manuel Barroso said that, “the two parties reaffirmed their responsibility in meeting global challenges together and which range from the fight against climate change to eradicating poverty and sustainable development. These challenges are all tests for our credibility as leaders. We have to prove our leadership and get results”.
The next ASEM summit will be in Mongolia in 2016, which will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Asia/Europe Forum. ASEM was created at the Bangkok summit in 1996 and as an international forum brings together the Commission and the 28 member states of the EU, Norway and Switzerland, members of the ASEAN zone (Brunei, Burma/Myanmar Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), as well as its secretariat and China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and Kazakhstan. (EH)