Source: Nation, the (Thailand)
Source type: Newspaper
Published on: 05 Oct 2010

A group of students from Bangkok who are interested in international organisations and multilateral diplomacy formulated a legitimate complaint. They could not find in the daily Thai press fresh and substantive information about the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem). Being present at the 1st Asem Summit in Bangkok in March 1996 - a memorable event which took place in an atmosphere of traditional Thai sumptuousness - I could not imagine or predict Asem's low visibility over the years. Nobody could doubt in 1996 the strategic importance of Asem as an original forum aimed at promoting an active partnership for dialogue and co-operation between Asia and Europe.

 

On the eve of the 8th Asem Summit, scheduled on October 4-5, 2010 in Brussels, the invisibility of its agenda in the media should generate serious concerns. The Summit's themes should not be doomed to obscurity. They encompass inter alia global economic governance, sustainable development, human rights, disaster relief, non-proliferation, terrorism and organised crime, regional issues, "people-to-people contacts", visibility and future of Asem.

The Brussels Summit is expected to bring together the heads of state and government of the 27 member states of the European Union and 16 Asian countries, the European Commission and the Asean Secretariat. It will also officially welcome Russia, Australia and New Zealand as new members.

Credibility by visibility is an imperative condition for successful inter-regional diplomacy. Consequently, the results of the 8th Asem Summit deserve to be largely publicised to be well known in Asia and Europe.