Helsinki, 11/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - The final statement of the ASEM Summit laid great stress on promoting multilateralism and backed a fair and just international multilateral system in which the UN would play a central role. The ASEM process is “brighter than ever”, said its Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyon, and “obviously stronger”, according to Commission President José Manuel Barroso, speaking after the meeting in Helsinki, the sixth of its type. On Monday, heads of government and state recalled their commitment to combating terrorism and emphasised that multilateralism must be strengthened, too, when dealing with human trafficking, money laundering, funding terrorism, corruption, drugs or illegal arms trafficking, and also responding to global threats to human health, such as HIV, bird flu or any other pandemic.
With the transformation of their economies, the ASEM countries wanted to ensure that globalisation benefits everyone. They “deeply regretted” the suspension of Doha Round talks, which are due to resume as soon as circumstances allow, and, while noting an increase in Regional Trade Agreements, they emphasised that they must support the aims of a multilateral system and fully comply with WTO rules and the level of development of the countries concerned. This view was backed up by Mr Barroso, who said that such agreements had to be “if possible, more ambitious” than the Doha objectives. Asked about the possibility of agreements of this type between the EU and ASEAN, and with South Korea and other players, Mr Barroso pointed out discussions were still at the exploratory stage and that no timetable had yet been established. China will hold a ministerial meeting on increasing economic cooperation between Europeans and Asians through small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 2007, said the statement, which also talked about the social sphere, welcoming the first meeting of ASEM employment and labour ministers this year in Germany (a second meeting of this type is scheduled for 2008 in Indonesia).
The statement raised a whole series of other areas for cooperation, such as environmental and energy issues, education, training, and scientific cooperation. Intercultural dialogue and dialogue between faiths should that there could be harmony in diversity, but there had to be “zero tolerance to intolerance”, said Mr Barroso.
On the international level, de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula remained essential for the ASEM, which called on North Korea to return to the negotiating table without conditions. Leaders also expressed their deep concern at the lack of tangible progress on the reconciliation process in Myanmar and called for the lifting of restrictions imposed on political parties and the release of political prisoners (see related article). Finally, they reaffirmed their support for the Iraqi, Lebanese and Afghan governments, called for lasting peace in the Middle East and hoped for a positive response from Tehran to the international community's recent proposals on the nuclear issue.