The 9th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM 9) was solemnly opened on 25. May under the theme “Forging a closer Asia-Europe partnership to address the financial and economic crisis and other global challenges.”

    FMM 9 is the first official meeting at the foreign ministerial level of 45 ASEM members since the Beijing Summit in October 2008, serving as a “bridge” between the two ASEM Summits. It assumes a great responsibility of stepping up the implementation of ASEM 7 decisions ahead of ASEM 8 to be held in Brussels next year.

    The Meeting takes places at the juncture when the world is undergoing fast changes with unpredictable complications: The global financial and economic crisis and recession are adversely affecting the socio-economic life of most countries throughout the world. Other global challenges, particularly climate change and energy security, have become more serious, demanding for a closer international cooperation to deal with them.

    In his opening speech, PM Nguyen Tan Dung emphasized the role and strength of ASEM, calling upon all member countries to take concrete and practical actions in order to build up a new and more sustained economic and financial system to assist international efforts in reviving the world economy and addressing global issues as well as improve the effectiveness of ASEM cooperation and its international position.

    Delivering the remarks to the meeting, Deputy PM, FM Phạm Gia Khiêm stated that, FMM 9 should emphasize on the following issues: (1) to focus on economic cooperation and enhance the role of international financial institutions, achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and sustainable development; (2) to strengthen cooperation in the face of such global issues as climate change, energy security, food security, international terrorism, and maritime security; (3)to promote the political dialogue on global and regional situation; (4) to promote the dialogue among cultures and civilizations of two continents through closer cooperation in culture, education, human resources development, and interfaith dialogue; and (5) to find out measures to enhance the effectiveness of coordination and cooperation with ASEM.

    Cooperation to cope with financial and economic crisis

    Following the opening ceremony, ASEM Foreign Ministers held a debate on cooperation in the face of the global financial and economic crisis.

    Cambodian Deputy PM, FM Hor Nam Hong stressed that the current crisis is undermining the driving forces of the globalization, such as open markets, the global supply chain, globally-integrated companies and private ownership.

    “The crisis of such magnitude emphasizes the need to reshape the global financial governance and economic landscape, including the reform of the international financial institutions,” said Mr. Hor Nam Hong.

    The Cambodian FM asserted the importance to restart the Doha Round negotiations as soon as possible in order to bring down trade barriers, better market access, particularly in agricultural goods and reduce agricultural subsidies in develop countries. “In the face of this situation, there is a greater need for us to enhance economic and trade relations between Asia and Europe,” said Mr. Hor Nam Hong.

    Starting the initiative to control pandemic influenza

    Also in the first working day of FMM 9, the launching ceremony for the “ASEM Initiative for the Rapid Containment of Pandemic Influenza” jointly organized by the Government of Japan in collaboration with the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).

    So far, the outbreak of influenza A/H1N1 causing 12,022 officially confirmed cases of infection, including 86 cases of death, in 43 countries, can cause fear and socio-economic disruption worldwide.

    At the ceremony, Japanese FM Hirofumi Nakasone handed over a sample box of anti-viral drugs and personal protective equipment to the host FM Phạm Gia Khiêm, in the witness of ASEF Executive Director Dominique Girard and Ministers of the co-sponsoring countries of the initiative.

    Responding to ASEM leaders’ determination to combat avian influenza and all possible human influenza pandemics, at the 7th ASEM Summit (Beijing 2008), the Japanese Government proposed a project of stockpiling 500,000 doses of anti-viral drugs and sets of personal protective equipment in Singapore, under the ASEF’s supervision and pending its distribution on the instruction of the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO-WPRO).

    Another component of the project is to establish an “ASEF Network for Public Health” which will serve as the foundation for enhanced collaboration on health-related issues between Asia and Europe. The network will support multi-stakeholder partnership to meet challenges fo global health security and promote experience-sharing between main players from both regions.

Source: Source: Chinhphu