On May 25, the two-day Third ASEM (Asia-Europe
Meeting) Foreign Ministers' Meeting concluded in Beijing
with fruitful results. Foreign ministers from 25 ASEM member
states and the EU External Relations Commissioner attended
the meeting. The theme of the meeting is
“Strengthening the Asia-Europe Partnership in the New
Century”. The foreign ministers attending the meeting
held in-depth and fruitful discussions on extensive issues
in political dialogue, economic and trade cooperation, and
social and cultural exchanges. The meeting also adopted the
Chairman’s Statement, which reflects the broad
consensus and cooperation reached by Asia and Europe in
these areas.
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan
hosted the meeting and held a press conference together with
Vietnamese and Swedish foreign minister and senior
Asia-Europe commissioner of the European Commission, who are
coordinators of the meeting.
At the press
conference, Tang first briefed the reporters on the good
results of the meeting. He pointed out that the meeting was
convened in a friendly atmosphere and in a pragmatic manner
and achieved fruitful results. Focusing on the theme
"Strengthening the Asia-Europe Partnership in the New
Century," the foreign ministers from 25 ASEM member
states and the EU External Relations Commissioner reached
consensus on a wide range of international and regional
issues. They stressed that both Asia and Europe should
further develop their cooperation both in depth and width in
the new century, and make it an important factor in forming
a new international political and economic
order.
Tang said that the meeting has helped
strengthen Asia-Europe political relations, as foreign
ministers at the meeting proposed to set up a UN affairs
consultation mechanism. The meeting helped strengthen
economic and trade cooperation as it confirmed several
cooperation proposals on economic cooperation, trade,
finance, the environment, science and technology. The
meeting also helped enlarge Asia-Europe cooperative fields.
The ministers stressed at the meeting the significance of
enhancing cooperation in the areas of society, culture,
education, human resources, the environment and judicial
system. The Chairman's Statement, adopted at the meeting,
reflected the consensus reached by both Asia and Europe in
conducting cooperation in political dialogue, economy and
trade, finance, science and technology, environmental
issues, education and cracking down on cross-border
crimes.
The coordinators attending the press
conference, Vietnamese and Swedish foreign ministers and
senior Asia-Europe commissioner of the European Council
extended congratulations on the complete success of the
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and expressed thanks and
appreciation to the Chinese side for the huge amount of work
and contributions to the meeting. Tang and the coordinators
also took questions from the press.
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