The 13th ASEM Finance Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FinMM13) was held in Sofia, Bulgaria on 26 April 2018. The Meeting was attended by Finance Ministers and representatives from 45 ASEM Partners: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Lao PDR, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Viet Nam and the European Union, and by representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), the European Central Bank (ECB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the European Banking Federation (EBF), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Single Resolution Board (SRB) and ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) as invited guests.
Mr Vladislav GORANOV, Minister of Finance of Republic of Bulgaria, welcomed the participants to the 13th ASEM Finance Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FinMM13). In his opening remarks, he underlined that ASEM offers a balance between informal discussions and practical cooperation, making the forum valued by both the political leaders and the civil society. The Minister also emphasized that strengthening the ties and cooperation among the ASEM partners in its three pillars – political, economic and social-cultural – is of significant benefit to the stability and prosperity of the two continents. Furthermore he called upon the Finance Ministers to continue to reinforce cooperation and enhance mutual understanding for co-prosperity of both regions.
The Meeting provided the opportunity for ASEM Partners to exchange views on relevant issues of common interest and explored most effective ways to strengthen economic linkages and connectivity and create a stronger partnership between Asia and Europe for a future of shared, inclusive and sustainable growth.
