ASEAN Secretariat, Asia-Europe Foundation boost cooperation

Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation Zhang Yan met with ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh in Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta on July 23 to discuss cooperation areas that benefit both sides.
Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation Zhang Yan metwith ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh in Indonesia’s capital cityof Jakarta on July 23 to discuss cooperation areas that benefit bothsides.

Speaking at the meeting, Minh welcomed thevisit by Zhang and expressed the readiness of the ASEAN Secretariat, as afull member of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and Board of Governors ofthe Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF), to collaborate with ASEF for thebenefits of ASEM Partners.

He informed the guest ofthe recent developments in ASEAN and affirmed that the ASEANSecretariat’s participation in ASEM and ASEF will contribute to theAsia-Europe cooperation, as well as ASEAN Community building efforts.

The Secretary-General viewed ASEM as a wider inter-regionalframework that promotes constructive cooperation and dialogue betweenand among the Partners and was of the view that ASEAN attachedimportance to the ASEM process.

ASEM has contributed tofostering the environment and condition conducive for ASEAN Communitybuilding, peace, stability and development in the region, he said.

For his part, Zhang highlighted the important role ASEAN plays inthe region as well as in Asia-Europe relations, expressing wish tofoster cooperation between his foundation and the ASEAN Secretariat in amore practical and effective manner, bringing tangible results toboth sides.

They exchanged views on possible areas of commoninterests for practical cooperation and collaboration, namelysustainable development, environment, public health, education, humanresource development and culture.

During his visit, Zhang alsomet with and made a presentation on the works of ASEF to the ASEANSecretariat staff and discussed possible practical cooperation andcollaboration that could be pursued in the future.

ASEF wasestablished in February 1997 under the framework of the ASEM processwith the purpose to promote mutual understanding, deeper engagement andcontinued collaboration among the people of Asia and Europe throughgreater intellectual, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges betweenthe two regions.-VNA

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