Brussels, 27/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - One year after the shock of 11 September 2001, experts of the academic world will be discussing with government, European and business representatives about the way relations have developed between the European Union and Asia since the terrorist attacks last autumn. This one-day conference, organised by the Strategic Alliance for Asian Studies, will focus among other things on the relevance of the strategic framework launched in Brussels one week before these events took place and on the impact of developments which have since then marked the political, economic, social and strategic scene in Asia.
The meeting will be held on 11 September at the Eastmann Building of the European Parliament in Brussels, in five sessions devoted respectively to: - the critical analysis of this new framework aimed at strengthening the Euro-Asian partnership; - the protection of human rights and individual freedoms in a crisis context and prevention measures taken throughout the world; - the possible identification of a Euro-Asian security approach which is different from the "no neutral" or "no third way" approach of the United States; - dialogue with the Islamic world (solutions and interlocutors to strengthen mutual understanding); - and the implications for the Euro-Asian strategic framework. Participants include Willem van der Geest, Director of the European Institute for Asian Studies (Brussels); Jules Maaten, EP rapporteur responsible for the Euro-Asian communication and who is also host of the conference; Fokion Fotiadis, Director for Asia at the European Commission; David Camroux from Science Po (Paris); Vietnam's Ambassador for the Union, Ms Ton, who will be speaking on behalf of the ASEAN Committee in Brussels; Peter van der Veer from the Leiden Institute of Islamic Studies; Farharn Nizami, Director of the Studies Centre in Oxford; and Nirj Deva, MEP. For further information, contact: Zoe Mc Carthy, EIAS, fax: 00 32 2 230 54 02.