Brussels, 04/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 10 and 11 September, Helsinki will host the sixth ASEM summit, to be attended by the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the EU and of 13 Asian countries (the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -ASEAN - Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, plus Japan, China and South Korea). This meeting, which will be chaired by the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, will mark the 10th anniversary of the informal process of cooperation between European and Asian nations, and will provide the opportunity to discuss the future of ASEM.
A declaration stressing the past successes and possible future developments will be adopted, Jyrki Kallio, adviser to the Finnish Ministry for foreign affairs in charge of the dossier, explained to the press on Monday. Several other points are on the agenda, particularly the fight against terrorism, multilateralism, sustainable development with environmental dimensions and energy security, globalisation and competitiveness, but also inter-cultural dialogue. ASEM will adopt a declaration on climate change, which will aim to breathe new life into negotiations already under way. When the European and Asian leaders manage to reach agreement on trade issues, they can influence discussions at global level, said Geoffrey Barrett, European Commission coordinator for ASEM, reiterating progress made at UNESCO on the issue of cultural diversity in the wake of ASEM efforts. A decision on the future expansion of ASEM is also expected, said Mr Kallio, pointing out that if the Europeans hope to ensure the presence of Bulgaria and Romania once they have joined the EU, then it is down to the Asian countries to choose their candidates. "It is highly likely that a decision will be made in Helsinki", he said, stating only that the countries which may swell the ranks of ASEM range from the Middle East to Australia or New Zealand and anything in between.
A controversial guest at the last summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2004 (EUROPE 8804), Burma/Myanmar will again be represented in Finland. In line with its idea of constructive dialogue with Rangoon, the EU hopes to benefit from the informal nature of ASEM once again to raise the issue of human rights with all of its partners. The Burmese question "should not hinder the process as a whole", said Mr Kallio, who believes that ASEM offers "extremely good possibilities of engaging the whole of the region of Asia and the whole of the process in efforts to step up international pressure on Myanmar".
On the sidelines of the summit, non-governmental organisations are hosting the sixth Asia Europe People's Forum (AEPF), from 3 to 6 September in Helsinki. Representatives of European and Asian worker organisations will meet on 7 and 8 September, and employer organisations on 10 and 11 September.