1. The Third ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting was
held in Beijing, China, on 24-25 May 2001. It was attended
by Foreign Ministers from ten Asian and fifteen European
nations, and the Commissioner for External Relations of the
European Commission. The meeting was chaired by Chinese
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan. Chinese President Jiang Zemin
and Premier Zhu Rongji addressed the meeting at its opening
and closing ceremonies respectively and received the Foreign
Ministers and the Commissioner. Chinese Vice Premier Qian
Qichen also met them.
2. The Ministers held
comprehensive, in-depth and fruitful discussions based on
the theme of enhancing Asia-Europe partnership in the new
century. They affirmed that the relations between Asia and
Europe had become closer, more extensive and important than
ever, that ASEM had entered a new stage of dynamic
development. It was the strong wish of both Asia and Europe
to further deepen understanding, expand common ground,
enhance cooperation and forge closer relations. The
Ministers stressed the importance of building upon the
achievements of the Seoul Summit, to further promote and
enhance Asia-Europe exchanges and cooperation based on the
principle of equal partnership. They expected ASEM to play
an active and constructive role in building a new
international political and economic order by upholding the
Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and other
universally recognized norms governing international
relations. The Ministers called for greater
international cooperation in promoting peace, stability,
sustainable development, democracy, the rule of law, human
rights including the right to development, and fundamental
freedoms.
3. The Ministers held that, guided
by the principles set by ASEM Summits, the political
dialogue as one of the three pillars of the ASEM process had
developed positively, which benefited both regions by
promoting and deepening mutual understanding, expanding
common ground, defining common interests and enhancing
cooperation. They reaffirmed the great importance of further
enhancing such dialogue and cooperation in the political
field between the two regions.
4. The Ministers
exchanged views on regional issues of common interest. They
observed that positive trends in Asia and Europe had
consolidated cooperation in the two regions. They noted with
satisfaction that good-neighborliness, mutual trust,
dialogue and cooperation had become the consensus of the
east Asian countries. The ASEAN+3 Summit had played an
important role in fostering such relations. The Nice Summit
has enabled the European Union to reform its institutions,
thereby opening the way for the enlargement of the EU and
has further developed the European Defence and Security
Policy, thus giving the EU the means to play its full role
on the international stage. The Ministers noted with
interest the efforts to enhance integration between old and
new members of ASEAN including through the Initiative for
ASEAN Integration (IAI) launched at the fourth ASEAN
Informal Summit held in Singapore on 24-25 November 2000.
They welcomed the determination expressed by the thirteenth
ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting to enhance cooperation. The
Ministers firmly believed that enhanced regional cooperation
in Asia and Europe respectively such as EU and ASEAN would
give new impetus to socio-economic development in both Asia
and Europe, and create favourable conditions for
comprehensive and multi-faceted cooperation between the two
regions. They also welcomed the continued progress of the
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) as an important forum for
regional dialogue and cooperation. They were convinced that,
in the context of the trend towards globalization and
interdependence, the strengthening of the equal and mutually
beneficial Asia-Europe partnership would not only benefit
the people of the two continents, but also the world at
large.
5. Recalling the Seoul Declaration for
Peace on the Korean Peninsula adopted at the third ASEM, the
Ministers expressed their appreciation and support for the
positive steps taken by both the Republic of Korea (ROK) and
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in
implementing the South-North Joint Declaration since the
first inter-Korean Summit in June 2000, and looked forward
to further progress in the process of reconciliation and
cooperation with strengthened inter-Korean dialogue
including the early holding of the second Summit between the
ROK and the DPRK. The Ministers welcomed the outcome of the
recent visit by the President of the European Council, the
High Representative and the Commissioner for external
relations to the Korean Peninsula and noted the report made
by the European side about the positive outcome of the
discussions with both Korean Leaders on reconciliation on
the peninsula, the moratorium on missile tests and related
security issues, humanitarian matters, human rights and
other topics. The Ministers looked forward to further
dialogue between the DPRK and ASEM partners on these and
other questions, reaffirming their full support for the
realization of peace, stability and the eventual
reunification on the Korean Peninsula.
The
Ministers underlined the need for further achievements in
internal stability and national reconciliation in countries
of the Balkan region. The main thrust of integration with
the EU is given content by the stabilization and association
process, which requires the countries of the region to
promote democracy, the rule of law, regional reconciliation
and cooperation, respect for States’ international
borders and respect for human rights, including those of all
ethnic groups and minorities, as underlined by the Zaghreb
Summit.
The Ministers strongly support the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the countries
of the region and the inviolability of their internationally
recognised borders.
The Ministers stressed the
important contribution made by the international community,
particularly by the Stability Pact to the implementation of
reforms, economic development and the strengthening of
regional security and cooperation. The European Union was
the initiator of the Stability Pact and will continue to act
as its driving force.
The Ministers highlighted
the importance they attach to generating the necessary
conditions for a successful transition of East Timor towards
independence. They shared the view that the international
community’s active engagement to support the process
of rehabilitation and nation building in East Timor should
continue beyond independence. They also recognized the
important steps taken and the urgency to solve the problems
still remaining, namely the question of the East Timorese
refugees.
The Ministers discussed the worrying
situation in the Middle East. They called on the parties to
take all necessary measures to stop the tragic escalation
and urged them to work for a cease-fire. The Ministers
welcomed and gave their support to the report and to
proposals of the Sharm el Sheikh Fact Finding Committee
(“Mitchell Committee”) as well as to the
Jordanian-Egyptian initiative.
6. Recalling the
UN Millenium Declaration, the Ministers stressed that the
enhancement of the role of the United Nations, the
inter-governmental organization with the most universal
representation and participation, served the common
interests of all nations and discussed important issues such
as strengthening the UN, UN reforms, UN peacekeeping in
different aspects and UN's role in the areas of development,
disarmament, arms control and human rights. The Ministers
also underlined the importance of maintaining global
strategic balance and stability and strengthening regional
and global initiatives on arms control, disarmament and
non-proliferation of weapons of mass-destruction. They
agreed to further develop ASEM dialogue in the fields of
arms control, disarmament and UN reforms. In order to
strengthen cooperation on issues addressed by the UN, they
decided that before sessions of the General Assembly, ASEM
partners would hold consultations at the appropriate level
in New York or other agreed places to exchange views on
agenda items. Such consultations could also take other
agreed forms.
7. The Ministers underlined that
closer economic links among ASEM partners formed the basis
of a strong partnership between Asia and Europe. They shared
the view that ASEM should give priority to and strive for an
Asia-Europe economic relationship that is mutually
beneficial. They were pleased to note the recovery of Asian
economy and the stability of the euro area. This had created
favourable conditions for the two regions to enhance
economic and trade cooperation, including in the areas of
information and communications technology, to promote the
joint prosperity of the two regions.
8. The
Ministers agreed that the process of globalization, which
presented opportunities as well as risks and challenges,
called for comprehensive and sensitive monitoring in order
to realize the desired benefits for all. Through enhanced
cooperation ASEM partners could utilize the opportunities of
globalization better, face its challenges and join hands in
promoting a win-win globalization, towards equality and
mutual benefits for all nations. They noted that the seventh
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting held in
Bangkok on 27 July 2000 had discussed the security
implications of globalization, thereby contributing to the
regional dialogue on this issue. They also recognized that
globalization expanded the prospect for technological
advances and for effective integration into the world
economy, increasing prosperity and the potential for
countries, particularly the poorest and the most vulnerable.
ASEM Partners should make use of the opportunities and deal
with the challenges of globalization together, by working
jointly to narrow the development gap within and among
countries, reduce the number of people living in poverty,
decrease asymmetries and imbalances in the international
economy, and promote stability in the international
financial system which continued to be a concern
and required careful attention. They
pointed out that as an important partnership, ASEM could
play a more significant role in working towards a
globalization with maximum benefits and minimum side
effects, conducive to the common development of the
developed and developing countries.
9. Against
this background and bearing in mind the role of the
multilateral trading system in promoting economic growth and
prosperity among nations, the Ministers would intensify
their efforts to launch a new round of multilateral trade
negotiations with a balanced and broad-based agenda taking
into account the interests of all WTO members, at the Forth
Ministerial Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar. They
reaffirmed that full participation in the WTO by all ASEM
partners would strengthen the organization.
10. The Ministers looked forward to the
convening of the third ASEM Economic Ministers' Meeting in
Vietnam on 10-11 September 2001 and noted that it would
discuss measures to enhance the implementation of the
activities under the Trade Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP)
and Investment Promotion Action Plan (IPAP). They hoped that
this meeting would enhance cooperation between Asia and
Europe, particularly in relevant priority areas set out in
AECF 2000. The Ministers also looked forward to the
convening of the second ASEM Science and Technology
Ministers' Meeting at an early date. The Ministers commended
the constructive role of AEBF in promoting
business-to-business and business-to-government dialogue and
cooperation between Asia and Europe. They encouraged it to
continue its efforts in helping Asian and European SMEs to
pursue growth and prosperity. The Ministers welcomed the
positive result of the ASEM Seminar on Digital Opportunity
and supported the continued efforts to address the digital
divide. The Ministers noted that WTO Trade Facilitation
Seminar would be held in Kuala Lumpur in June 2001. They
hoped that the ASEM Seminar on Information and
Communications Technology and the ASEM Roundtable on
Globalization would score effective achievements.
Information and Communications Technology and the global
electronic networks offer real opportunities for growth and
sustainable development, which the ASEM partnership should
promote. They looked forward to the establishment of the
Trans-Eurasia Information Network, the convening of the
Conference on E-commerce and Logistics.
11.
The Ministers stressed that greater cooperation between Asia
and Europe in the financial field would be conducive to the
development and stability of world finance. Asia and Europe
would step up mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges
in strengthening financial supervision and regulation, and
putting into practice the principle of orderly financial
liberalization. They acknowledged that the third ASEM
Finance Ministers' Meeting in Kobe had held in-depth
discussions on issues including strengthening inter-regional
economic and financial cooperation between Asia and Europe,
and welcomed the commitment of all sides to actively
continue the exchanges, coordination and cooperation in this
area. The Ministers welcomed the concrete initiatives
launched as a follow-up to the Kobe meeting including the
finalization of modalities for the ASEM Trust Fund II (ATF
II) and the creation of the Kobe research project designed
to facilitate inter-regional cooperative research and
studies of mutual interest.
12. The Ministers
emphasized the importance of strengthening Asia-Europe
cooperation in social, cultural, educational and other areas
involving all sectors of society. In this regard, they
welcomed the fruitful results of the ASEM Conference on the
Combination of Traditional and Modern Medicine in December
2000. They stressed that human resources development in ASEM
partners was the foundation and guarantee of the
comprehensive development of Asia and Europe. Projects could
be developed to strengthen capacity building in the two
regions. Asia and Europe would further promote the
establishment of networks among scholars, think tanks and
students, and conduct academic and cultural exchanges. In
this connection, they welcomed the significant progress made
towards the launch of DUO, ASEM Fellowship Programme at the
Expert Group Meeting in Seoul. They also welcomed the
progress made in the establishment of ASEM Education Hubs
and activities launched by Asian-Europe
Institute.
13. The Ministers commended the
activities of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), which since
its setting up had contributed to greater understanding and
cooperation through people-to-people contacts and cultural
and intellectual exchanges. They took note of the report by
the ASEF Executive Director on the foundation’s future
goals and priorities. In this regard, the Ministers
expressed support for a new round of contributions to ASEF's
budget by partners in time for ASEM IV in Copenhagen.
14. The Ministers expressed deep concerns for
transnational organized crime and recognized the importance
of migration for both regions and would follow closely the
preparations for the Symposium on ASEM Law Enforcement
Agencies' Cooperation in Combating Transnational Crime, the
Cooperation in Combating Corruption, the Anti-money
Laundering Initiative. The Ministers took note of the
preparations for the Ministerial Conference on Cooperation
for the Management of Migratory Flows Europe-Asia. They
hoped that more effective mechanisms and channels for
relevant Asia-Europe cooperation could be established
through those initiatives.
15. The Ministers
recognized that trafficking in women and children was a
growing concern to all and welcomed the UN Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols.
ASEM Partners would intensify cooperation to combat the
hideous crime of trafficking in human beings with a view to
ensuring respect and protection of the rights of victims of
trafficking, especially women and children. The Ministers
welcomed the action plan prepared by the Core Group Expert
Meeting on ASEM initiative on Trafficking in Women and
Children.
16. The Ministers hoped that the
first ASEM Environment Ministers' Meeting to be held in
China could contribute to the process of environmental
cooperation between Asia and Europe. In view of the
challenges of pollution and ecological damage in the
twenty-first century, they agreed on the need not only to
de-couple environmental degradation from continued economic
growth, but to ensure that pressures on the environment are
reduced to a level compatible with sustainable development.
The Ministers shared the view that global warming is a
serious challenge which the entire international community
should take concerted and coordinated actions to tackle. In
this regard, the Ministers stressed that the Kyoto protocol
is an important first step to achieve the necessary
turn-around in industrialized countries' emissions. They
recognized that many current trends were not sustainable,
and emphasized that in the longer term, a healthy
environment was fundamental to economic development, human
welfare and reduction of poverty. The Ministers expressed
their determination to work towards a successful 2002 World
Summit on Sustainable Development. They also noted the role
of the Asia-Europe Environmental Technology Centre (AEETC)
for the past two years in enhancing environmental
cooperation.
17. Asia-Europe Cooperation
Framework 2000 set out the principles, objectives,
priorities and mechanisms of cooperation for the ASEM
process for the first decade of the new millennium. The
Ministers reviewed the progress of the initiatives endorsed
by the third ASEM and on the recommendations of the Senior
Officials' Meeting held in Stockholm in April 2001, endorsed
the following as official ASEM initiatives: --Kobe
Research Project --ASEM Public Debt Management
Forum --ASEM SOM Information Exchange, Monitoring and
Review Mechanism for ASEM Initiatives and
Activities --Lifelong Learning --Seminar on
Asia-Europe Cooperation on the Applications of Information
Technology to Human Resources Development in the Mekong
Sub-region
18. The Ministers discussed future
modalities of the ASEM dialogue, in particular those of
Leaders. In this connection, they exchanged views on how to
make ASEM more informal and interactive and agreed to
continue exploring more effective ways to this end. As
overall coordinators of the ASEM process, the Ministers
instructed Senior Officials to ensure that AECF 2000 is
fully implemented. They encouraged Senior Officials to
continue their work on stocktaking and to identify thematic
clusters of initiatives which could contribute to the ASEM
dialogue and cooperation.
19. In accordance
with the results of the third ASEM Summit, the Ministers
exchanged views on the participation in ASEM, noted the
views of Asian partners, and agreed to return to the issue
at the next Foreign Ministers’
Meeting.
20. The Ministers agreed to hold the
fourth ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Spain in June 2002.
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