WORLD> Asia-Pacific
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WORLD> Asia-Pacific
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Foreign ministers tackle global challenges at ASEM
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-26 22:32 The ministers called for promoting cooperation in areas of mutual benefits including finance, transport, energy, science and technology, agriculture, forestry and fishery, education, sustainable urban development and tourism. The ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting is responsible for the overall coordination of the ASEM process. According to this year' s meeting, the First ASEM Transport Ministers' Meeting will be held in Lithuania in October this year. It will launch the ASEM dialogue on transport and contribute to trade linkage of the two continents. The meeting also agreed on the necessity for early resumption of the ASEM Economic Ministers' Meeting and encouraged full participation by all partners in such a meeting.
Ministers also encouraged the entrepreneurs to play more active role in ASEM economic cooperation, enhancing public-private partnership and promoting development of small and medium enterprises. The encouragement would be translated into action at the eighth ASEM Summit to be held in Brussels next year by a plan to hold a dynamic Asia-Europe Business Forum in parallel with the summit. Pin the hope for next year Ministers pinned the hope for economic recovery next year. They agreed that the growth prospects for both developed and developing countries for 2009 have deteriorated and the current situation could go deeper in some countries and regions. "It is possible that world economy might start recovering in 2010 with concerted efforts through close cooperation and coordination," said the statement.
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