European and Asian leaders kicked off on Monday the ninth Asia Europe
Summit (Asem) in Vientiane, Laos, stressing that tighter partnership between
both regions would be necessary to face myriad global challenges.
During the opening ceremony on
Monday afternoon, Lao President Choummaly Sayasone emphasised that while some
parts of the world struggled with complex political and security challenges,
humankind also had to cope with new threats such as food and energy insecurity,
climate change and natural disasters.
“Therefore it is more critical
than ever to broaden the dialogue and enhance coordination in view of adopting
new approaches for attaining sustainable development, taking into account the
current global environment, ensuring that our people can live in peace and
prosperity, while avoiding the vicious circle of the economic and financial
crisis,” he said in his address.
European Commission president
Jose Manuel Durao Barroso underlined the growing importance of Asia for Europe
as Asia had witnessed tremendous economic growth from 6 per cent to above 10
per cent in the last two decades.
“We believe this can be a win-win
situation for Europe and Asia and, indeed, a very important contribution to
global sustainable growth, and the responsibility of the success lies in the
region, in Asian leadership and the people of Asia,” he said.
Among the representatives of 51
Asem members, which included the Asean Secretariat, the European Commission and
the European Council, were Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard and French
President Francois Hollande.
The summit will feature several
plenary sessions ranging from economic and financial issues to global security
and regional issues.
Some Asian participants,
including the Philippines, are expected to raise concerns over Asia’s maritime
sovereignty disputes during the discussion. China claims sovereignty over the
entire South China Sea, but several Asean nations like Brunei, the Philippines
and Vietnam have also claimed parts of the sea.
Separately, China, Japan and
South Korea have also engaged in several territorial disputes that have raised
tensions in the region. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that the summit
would not address issues present in other forums.
“We don’t wish to reinvent and
replicate or duplicate debates taking place elsewhere. It’s a matter of
addressing problems, challenges, opportunities and asking ourselves what roles
Asia and Europe can play,” he told The Jakarta Post.
President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, who attended the meeting after a visit to United Kingdom, shared
Indonesia’s experience in tackling the financial crisis that devastated the
country in 1997/98 with leaders and senior officials in a closed-door plenary
session.
During the day, Yudhoyono also
held several bilateral meetings, including with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens
Stoltenberg and French President Hollande, reaffirming commitments to boost
cooperation in a wide array of areas, including the economy and education.
Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said
that Norway expressed a commitment to continue collaboration in fighting
against climate change, as well as to engage more in trade and investment.
Norway’s oil and gas company
Statoil, which established its presence in Indonesia in 2007, would pour
billions of US dollars in new investments into the oil and gas sector
immediately, Gita said, without specifying a particular location.
Industry Minister MS Hidayat said
that France also expressed an interest in a stronger presence in Indonesian
industry.
According to Hidayat, Indonesia
invited the French to invest particularly in the local defense industry.
Linda Yulisman
The Jakarta Post
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