Cultural ministers attending an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) conference on cultures and civilizations called in Beijing Wednesday for more dialogs between different cultures so as to realize peace of the world.

Rais Yatim, minister from the prime minister's department of Malaysia, said that compared with politics, cultures are relatively less understood by different countries, which in turn hinders their own development.

Danish Minister of Culture Brian Mikkelsen shared his view, saying that globalization helps to remove stumbling blocks in exchanges of personnel, goods and information, but it also challenges different values and cultures of different regions and nations.

All individuals, religions, cultures and nations should retain an attitude of being open and respecting each other, said Mikkelsen.

French Minister of Culture and Communication Jean-Jacques Aillagon said a prosperous future must respect and maintain the diversity of cultures, tradition and history. No matter how rich and colorful a culture is, he noted, it cannot exist alone and different cultures should communicate with each other for common development.

The meeting, with the theme of "unity in diversity," opened in Beijing Wednesday. Approximately 200 representatives from 26 ASEM members are attending the two-day event, the largest culture ministerial meeting of its kind ever held in China.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2003)