Strasbourg, 06/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - In view of the third Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM 3) which will take place in Seoul next 20 and 21 October, the European Parliament adopted a resolution from several political groups calling for, in particular, the continuation of the ASEP process (Asia-Europe parliamentary meetings). The Parliament, which supports the broad outline of the Commission approach in its document on "the prospects and priorities of the ASEM process for the next ten years", hopes that the next summit does it utmost to promote the reconciliation process in the Korean peninsula and invites the participants to "continue to follow the development of the situation in Burma".
In its resolution, the Parliament calls for in particular that: - a "democratic clause" be included in the agreement concluded with the Asian States; - the Europe-Asia dialogue broaches not only the issue of the prevention of conflict and peace keeping (as well as the strengthening of efforts to control the arms trade and to slow the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction), but also the "new" problems of security, such as the fight against terrorism and international organised crime (including money laundering and crimes against women and children), - the ASEM will also examine issues of the environment, health (notably the fight against AIDS), the abolition of the death penalty and social protection; - the summit participants have co-ordinated their efforts in view of starting a new round within WTO and begin, in this context, a wider dialogue covering sustainable development and the protection of the environment, employment, child labour and social protection.