ASEM meet to focus on political dialogue, eco collaboration

With a focus on political dialogue and economic collaboration, 35 foreign ministers and representatives from 17 other countries today got together for the Asia-Europe Foreign Minister's meet here as India hoped the deliberations will add to consensus on how best to deal with regional and global issues.
Inaugurating the 11th meeting of the forum, which brings together 60 percent of world's population, 52 percent of global GDP and close to 70 per cent of world trade, Vice President Hamid Ansari said, "The vitality and continuing relevance of ASEM highlights its importance as a bridge between Asia and Europe and as a platform for dialogue to promote stability, peace and development.

"Dialogues have to be relevant in situational terms. We are witness today to important evolution in the political-security and socio-economic architectures across the two continents, as also globally.
"The world economy continues to be sluggish and emerging economies that were previously seen as the engines of economic growth have been compelled to take tough decisions they can ill afford, given the enormity of their developmental needs," Ansari said.
Noting that the international community was also facing a degree of unprecedented sophistication in non-traditional security threats, the Vice-President said, these transcend national borders and traditional response patterns and necessitate considerably higher levels of comprehension and cooperation.

"....Therefore, the strategic importance of the Asia-Europe partnership is evident.I believe we should look to optimise ASEM's potential with a sense of greater urgency.
"We should endeavour to take it beyond being a forum for political dialogue only, make it reach out to the people of Member States and create wider stake-holding amongst economic partners and civil society.We should invest its outcomes with tangible deliverables," he said.