Heads of state or government from13 Asian countries and 25
member states of the European Union will attend the Sixth ASEM
Summit in Helsinki on Sept. 10 and 11 hosted by Finland, the
current holder of the EU Presidency.
According to a press release of the Finnish government on
Thursday, the gathering will be the largest ever meeting of Heads
of State or Government hosted by Finland, bringing together some
two thousand participants. It is also estimated that around 1,000
media representatives will come to Finland to cover the summit.
The Summit in Helsinki will mark the 10th anniversary of the
ASEM cooperation process. It will be chaired by Finnish Prime
Minister Matti Vanhanen.
The summit will focus on ways to respond to the challenges of
globalization. The issues on the agenda include global security
threats, energy security, climate change, WTO negotiations,
competitiveness and the structural changes in global economy.
It will also consider the future prospects for ASEM cooperation
on the basis of a joint research project by Finland and Japan,
entitled "ASEM in its tenth year: Looking back, looking forward,"
published in March 2006.
ASEM cooperation was initiated in 1996 with a view to
strengthening dialogue and interaction between Asia and Europe.
Discussions center on political, economic cultural and social
issues.
The summits that are organized every two years, alternately in
Asia and Europe, set the guidelines for cooperation. They also
provide Asian and European heads of state or government with an
opportunity to meet each other and discuss key international
issues.
(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2006)
