The Asia-Europe Meeting turns 20: Switzerland stresses the role of dialogue between Europe and Asia in rising to common challenges
Bern, 01.03.2016 - ASEM Day was held today in Bern 20 years to the day after the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was launched as an inter-regional forum for political dialogue between Asia and Europe. Participants took stock of the development of relations between European and Asian partner states and discussed the current challenges facing the region. In his opening address, Deputy FDFA State Secretary Georges Martin noted that mutual respect is an essential prerequisite for effective and fruitful cooperation between partner countries. Switzerland has been one of the most important platforms for dialogue between Europe and Asia since 2012.
The Asia-Europe Meeting began its work on 1 March 1996. This inter-regional forum for political dialogue was founded 20 years ago with the aim of stepping up exchanges about political, security and economic issues that affect European and Asian countries alike. ASEM currently has 53 member states. "The forum is a useful platform for dialogue between our partners in Europe and Asia and allows us to extend cooperation," said Deputy FDFA State Secretary Georges Martin to explain why Switzerland joined ASEM in 2012. Since then, ASEM has become an important instrument of Swiss foreign policy, explained George Martin, and Switzerland will work to ensure that ASEM remains a forum in which political questions are discussed openly and on an equal footing and solutions are developed for the benefit of all partners. Switzerland remains ready to help forge links and promote understanding between Europe and Asia and to explicitly involve civil society in this endeavour.
George Martin's address was followed by a panel discussion about the current challenges facing Asia and Europe – including the economy, migration and the contribution ASEM can make as a forum for dialogue to meeting these challenges – between the EU Ambassador to Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, Richard Jones; the Ambassador of Mongolia, Purevdorj Vaanchig; the Head of the FDFA's Asia-Pacific Division, Ambassador Johannes Matyassy; and Shada Islam, the Director of Policy of the Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe.
At the ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 5-6 November 2015, it was decided that international ASEM Day would be celebrated every year on 1 March to showcase the work carried out by ASEM and raise awareness of the themes it addresses. Today, ASEM Day is being celebrated not only in Bern but also in many other ASEM partner countries.
Switzerland takes part in various ASEM projects
As an ASEM member, Switzerland is involved in various projects in the fields of human rights, sustainable development, youth, disaster risk reduction and disaster management, and vocational education and training. For example, Switzerland co-financed the Asia Europe Public Diplomacy Training Initiative for young diplomats, and in November 2015 it organised the 15th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights in Montreux on the theme “Human Rights and Trafficking in Persons”. This year, Switzerland will also sponsor the Model ASEM, a simulation of ASEM's work for students from Asia and Europe.
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