On Monday 30 March 2015, General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, presided over the opening ceremony of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Symposium on the Future Direction of ASEM, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, Bangkok.

 

At the 10th ASEM Summit in Milan last October, ASEM Foreign Ministers and ASEM Senior Officials were tasked to formulate recommendations on the future direction of ASEM.  In this regard, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand, expressed Thailand’s readiness to host this Symposium.  

 

The suggestions made during this Symposium will be reported to the ASEM Senior Officials Meeting to be held from 31 March - 1 April 2015 in Bangkok. The ASEM SOM will then submit concrete recommendations on the future direction of ASEM to the next ASEM Leaders’ Meeting to be held in 2016 in Mongolia.

 

In his opening remarks, General Tanasak Patimapragorn offered a “five-point vision” as “food for thought”: (1) close ASEM economic integration through enhanced connectivity and economic contacts;  (2) ASEM as an area of peace and stability through increased cooperation to reduce traditional and non – traditional threats to security;  (3) respect for cultural and religious diversity, as well as tolerance and moderation, to combat radicalism and extremism;  (4)  cooperation to raise people’s living standards and promote people - to - people contacts.  (5)  a stronger ASEM Process that is more effective and able to promote concrete and tangible collaboration.

 

The Symposium was open to all interested think-tanks, as well as other relevant stakeholders, especially those from the following sectors: culture, business, NGOs, education, politics, media, youth and academia.  The Symposium was conducted in a panel discussion format and consisted of 5 sessions, namely: (1) Overview session; (2) Political Pillar session; (3) Economic Pillar session; (4) Social and Cultural Pillar session; and (5) Conclusion. The discussions focused on  stocktaking of ASEM’s past achievements, future goals of ASEM and ways and means to achieve such goals.

 

Since the inauguration of the first ASEM Summit in Bangkok in 1996 , ASEM has been an informal forum for dialogue and cooperation. Its membership has also expanded from  25 to 53 members from Asia and Europe.  This inter-regional group has played a vital role in promoting global peace and stability, as well as contributing to the world economy.  ASEM members account for approximately half of the world’s GDP, more than 60% of the world’s population and around 60% of global trade.  ASEM is the only dialogue forum where Asian and European Leaders meet biannually to address issues in the 3 core pillars of ASEM, namely political, economic and socio-cultural pillars, with an aim to strengthen the relationship and enhance cooperation between the two regions.