asem description page 3

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/asem/asem_process/index_process.htm

Introduction

The origins of the ASEM process lay in a mutual recognition, in both Asia and Europe, that the relationship between the two regions needed to be strengthened, reflecting the new global context of the 1990s, and the perspectives of the new century. In July 1994, the European Commission had already published "Towards a New Strategy for Asia", stressing the importance of modernising our relationship with Asia, and of reflecting properly its political, economic and cultural significance. In November 1994, Singapore had proposed that an EU-Asia summit meeting be held, to consider how to build a new partnership between our two regions.

Following on this Singaporean proposal, the first ASEM Summit was held in Bangkok in March 1996. Since then, Summit-level meetings have been held every two years (London in April 1998, Seoul in October 2000, Copenhagen scheduled for 2002). The Bangkok Summit also decided that Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economics and Finance should meet to carry forward the dialogue within their respective fields, and these core Ministerial meetings were held in the years between Summits (in 1997 and 1999). At the Seoul Summit there was agreement that Ministerial meetings would be held normally once a year. The next Ministerial meetings are currently scheduled for 2001. One Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology was also held (in 1999).

Each of these Ministerial meetings is supported by regular meetings of senior officials (SOM for foreign affairs, SOMTI for economic matters, and Finance Deputies). Foreign Ministers and their senior officials (SOM) also have an overall coordinating role within the ASEM process, and are assisted in this by an informal group of Coordinators (currently China and Vietnam, and the EU Presidency and Commission).

Outside the government dialogue, both the private sector (through the AEBF) and civil society groups (through the alternative ASEM) have met on a regular basis. The European Parliament has also followed the ASEM process closely, though only one Asia-Europe Parliamentary meeting (ASEP) has so far been held (in April 1996).

As an informal process of dialogue and cooperation, based on equal partnership and enhancing mutual understanding, ASEM can best work to facilitate and stimulate progress in other fora, and should not seek to duplicate what is being done within our bilateral and multilateral relationships with Asia. For this reason, there are no formal institutions within the ASEM process, and only two bodies have been set up in direct response to ASEM initiatives :

Also reflecting the informality of the ASEM process, specific cooperation initiatives necessary to meet the objectives set out by ASEM can best be followed through at the bilateral level. One exception to this has been the ASEM Trust Fund, set up in response to the Asian Financial crisis in order to provide technical advice and training on financial sector reform and social policy reform.

More information on the ASEM process is given in the ASEM Background. Information on upcoming and past ASEM events is given in the ASEM Calendar.

As part of its own reflections on the preparation of the Seoul Summit, the European Commission published (April 2000) a Working Document on "Perspectives and Priorities in the ASEM process into the New Decade". A similar document was prepared in 1997 in the run-up to the London Summit (text).

As an informal process, ASEM has no secretariat, and coordination of the ASEM process as a whole is the responsibility of Foreign Ministers and their Senior Officials. They are assisted in this by an informal group of four Coordinators (currently China and Vietnam, and the EU Presidency and Commission).

To help set out the underlying principles, objectives, priorities and coordination mechanisms of the ASEM process, an Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework (AECF) was adopted at the London Summit. An updated version of this (the AECF 2000) was approved by leaders at the Seoul Summit in October 2000.

Looking to the longer-term perspectives of the ASEM process, the London Summit agreed to set up an Asia-Europe Vision Group, to make recommendations on the issues and priorities which ASEM might address in the medium- to long-term. The Vision Group completed its work in October 2000 submitting the Vision Group report to leaders through Foreign Ministers at the Seoul Summit