Brussels, 06/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The fourth ASEM meeting at the level of EU15 Foreign Ministers and of ten Asian countries (7 from ASEAN, as well as Japan, China and South Korea) opened on Thursday in Madrid in the presence of Spanish Minister Josep Piqué on behalf of the EU Council Presidency, Commissioner Chris Patten and High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana. Points on the agenda for discussions to be concluded late Friday afternoon include: the crisis between India and Pakistan, the problem of illegal migration, the deadlock in the Middle East, consolidation of political dialogue, and the preparation of the next EU/ASEM summit to be held in September in Copenhagen, as well as the eventual integration of other ASEAN countries (the Burmese issue in particular) in this informal dialogue process between Asia and Europe.
On Thursday, Ministers held a coordination meeting followed by bilateral talks before meeting in plenary. They were to finalise in this context a series of declarations (Presidency, management of migratory flow, political dialogue, Middle East, new practices of interactive working, etc.) and launch initiatives intended to promote, among other things, the settlement of conflicts in the region (India/Pakistan, Korean peninsula, Middle East, Afghanistan), the respect of democratic principles and human rights, as well as the prevention of and fight against drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Ministers could also give the kick-off to an initiative proposed by China and jointly sponsored by Spain, Germany and Denmark, aimed at optimising the exchange of information concerning terrorist-related activities.
During the dinner held the evening before the plenary, the Fifteen met their East Timor counterpart, José Ramos Horta, to whom they confirmed their support. The South Korean foreign minister urged them to strengthen their support for the "Sunshine Policy", the policy of commitment with North Korea to promote peace and stability on the peninsula.