10th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Meeting Held in Godollo, Hungary

A two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the 46-nation Asia-Europe (ASEM) began on 4 July 2011 in Godollo, Hungary, and ended on 5 July 2011. This was the 10th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The summit was chaired on 4 July 2011 by Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU) while Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi took over the chair on 5 July 2011. Hungary is the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency.

Asian and European foreign ministers on 5 July 2011 reached an agreement to cooperate closer in dealing with the non-traditional security challenges. The meeting focused on increasing international collaboration in dealing with a cluster of non-traditional security threats ranging from terrorism and piracy to food and energy security, climate change, disaster relief and management, illegal migration and infectious diseases.

Next Asia-Europe (ASEM) meet will be held in India in 2013, while an ASEM summit will be held in Vientiane, Laos in 2012.


India’s Announcement

At the ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Godollo on 5 July 2011, India announced that it would host the meeting of ASEM forum in 2013. India also announced its decision to hike its financial contribution, a 20 percent increase to the inter-regional forum, ASEM.


Highlights of the ASEM meet

•    The meeting held discussions on regional and international issues of common interest, including developments in Europe, Asia, Middle-East and the Arab world.

•    A separate plenary session was devoted to global issues such as UN Reforms, sustainable development, environment protection, non-proliferation and disarmament, G-8, G-20 etc.

•    ASEM meet further exchanged views on, matters relating to economic governance and the reform of the international financial system, as well as, ongoing efforts in Europe and Asia to overcome the consequences of the economic and financial crisis.


About ASEM

•    ASEM was set up in 1996.

•    ASEM represents over half of the global population and accounts for more than half of the global GDP.

•    It held its first summit meeting at Bangkok.

•    It is a forum of 46 Asian and European countries. 27 countries are from the EU and 19 countries are from Asia India has been participating in ASEM meetings since 2007.

•    ASEM also comprises two international organisations, i.e. the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union, for expanding political and security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.

•    Outside of the government-level meetings, ASEM also brings together, in individual fora, lawmakers, businesses and civil society groups.

•    In the key achievements of ASEM, the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) a ground-breaking research and education network connecting researchers in both continents are included.