Source: Brunei Direct (Brunei Darussalam)
Source type: Others
Published on: 01 Oct 2010

Sultan to attend Brussels meeting - Bandar Seri Begawan - The Royal Palace in Brussels will be the venue for the upcoming 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which will be attended by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam together with 47 other world leaders from 46 Asian and European countries, as well as the European Commission and the Asean Secretariat.

Scheduled to take place from October 4, the theme for this year's summit, is 'Quality of Life' during which the leaders, representing 58 per cent of the world's population and 60 per cent of international trade will be convening to focus on the continuing fall-out of the economic and financial crisis, especially on existing global governance structures, the Millennium Development Goals, the Global Jobs Pact and environmental protection through the growth of green technologies.

In addition, the leaders will also be discussing ways to encourage further Asia-Europe cooperation on energy, environmental protection, food security and sustainable social development, improving relations between the peoples of Asia and Europe, and shared common challenges, such as counter-terrorism,' nuclear non-proliferation, the security of sea lanes, which are persistently plagued by piracy and hinder trade between Asia and Europe, as well as organised crime.

The 8th ASEM Summit offers a unique and important opportunity for addressing issues and deepening relations between an increasingly self-confident, dynamic, "rising" Asia and Europe, at a time when many economic, social, cultural and political grievances can be discussed openly.

According to the ASEM website: "This summit will, in fact, be the largest ever such gathering in Brussels, which is home both to the European Union and NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation."

When they last met at summit level in Beijing, China in 2008, ASEM's 45 Asian and European leaders then had the first major discussion on how to contain the global financial crisis just as its effects were beginning. In fact, the Beijing Summit was a key preparation for the subsequent G20 Summits, which, as a result, emerged as a new global economic governance forum.

During the summit, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's message, "We either swim together or sink together" was echoed by both Asian and European leaders who committed themselves to joint efforts to spur their domestic and global economies.

This was indeed underscored by His Majesty when the monarch, on behalf of all the Asean member countries, addressed the 7th ASEM coordinator's press conference by underscoring the importance of the Beijing Summit in discussing the critical financial situation.

"We have had some extremely valuable discussions on many global subjects, of both regional and international importance. Obviously in view of the current situation in the financial market, we in Asean feel that this is probably the most important meeting of ASEM that we have ever had."

As a positive and constructive sign of changing times and regional realignments, Russia, Australia and New Zealand will become official member's of ASEM with their leaders participating in the summit.

ASEM currently has 45 partners, comprising of 43 countries and two international organisations. The partners are Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam, the European Commission and the Asean Secretariat. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

[Waleed Pd Mahdini]

-From BruDirect http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010100130250/First-Stories/quality-of-life-comes-under-asem-eyes.html