Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner in Kyoto for ASEM Meeting

FR - DE

European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and Foreign Ministers from the EU Member States will meet the Foreign Ministers of Japan, China, Korea and the ASEAN countries on 6-7 May in Kyoto in ASEM, the Asia-Europe Meeting. Ministers are expected to discuss major international and regional political issues. In the margins of the meeting, the Commissioner will also take part in a number of bilateral and troika meetings with Asian countries. It is anticipated that, for the first time, the EU will hold a ministerial troika meeting with Burma/Myanmar.

On the eve of her trip, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: "When two continents speak with one voice, they send a very powerful message. At this ASEM meeting Asia and Europe will address together some of the most critical issues of our times - including UN reform, WTO, North Korea, and Burma/Myanmar. It is a tribute to ASEM that such discussions now take place between Asia and Europe with an openness that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago - and it is a signal that the political dimension of our partnership is increasingly matching up to the strength of our economic relationships".

The Agenda for this 7th ASEM ministers' meeting includes strengthening multilateralism and enhancing the role of the UN, including its institutional reform; security threats including terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction and international organised crime; the situation in the Korean peninsula, Burma/Myanmar and the Middle East; and economic and social issues, including sustainable development. In a new departure for ASEM, particular attention will be paid to interfaith issues, a topic for which ASEM is well suited.

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner expects to hold bilateral meetings with Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and to participate in troika meetings with Japan and Burma/Myanmar.

Previous Troika contacts with Burma/Myanmar have taken place in Burma/Myanmar only at Regional Director's level, and no Troika visits have taken place since 2002. The decision to encourage Burma/Myanmar to engage in dialogue was taken unanimously by the Member States. The meeting will be an opportunity to raise EU concerns about the continuing detention of Aung Sang Suu Kyi and other political detainees, deficiencies in the democratic process, and human rights. These concerns have recently led the EU to renew targeted sanctions against Burma/Myanmar regime. At the same time, the EU is expanding its financial assistance (€30-35 million in 2005) in the fields of health, education, livelihoods and the environment to improve living conditions for the people of Burma/Myanmar. The Troika meeting will provide an opportunity to underline the necessity for international organisations and NGOs to be given unrestricted access to allow implementation of programmes.

Background

The Asia-Europe Meeting, (ASEM) is the prime forum for dialogue between the 25 states of the European Union plus the European Commission, and 13 Asian countries - the 10 members of ASEAN (Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), plus Japan, China and Korea.

ASEM has helped to mitigate the results of the Asian financial crisis, contributed to progress in inter-Korean discussions, and to bringing about dialogue between the two regions on issues including counter-terrorism, culture, civilisation and climate change.

For more information on ASEM

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asem/intro/index.htm

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