by Xiao Chenglin     

    HANOI, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Leaders from the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries are gathering here to work for a common goal of peace and stability, growth of economy and cultural diversity between the two continents.

    The leaders, from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan and South Korea as well as the European Union (EU) and the EU executive arm, the European Commission, are attending the fifth ASEM summit to be held in Hanoi on Friday and Saturday.

    The summit is expected to focus on issues of mutual concern among the international community. Topics to be discussed will cover fight against terrorism, multi-national cooperation, the United Nations' role, non-traditional security as well as measuresto strengthen Asia-Europe partnership through concrete programs and cooperation plans, according to the ASEM-5 Secretariat.

    ASEM, an informal dialogue between Asia and Europe with an objective of strengthening the relationship between the two regions, has achieved considerable progress since its founding in 1996, maturing itself gradually.

    In the past eight years, it has undertaken more than 250 activities and proposed various initiatives in the areas of political dialogue, economic-financial cooperation and cultural exchanges.

    The political dialogue carried out in the past years between the two continents have deepened their mutual understanding on international and regional issues, from Middle East situation, international terrorism to development, social and rule of law issues, as stated by the ASEM Secretariat.

    On the economic-financial cooperation, the ASEM members have been working for a closer economic partnership to push their economic growth. A task force was formed in 2003 to study and make recommendations to the ASEM-5 summit on concrete measures to strengthen trade, financial and investment cooperation between the two regions.

    Trade relations and two-way investment flows have been promotedthrough the ASEM mechanism "Trade Facilitation Action Plan" and "Investment Promotion Action Plan." Cooperation has started in the field of customs and combating money laundering while a trust fundwas launched in the World Bank to assist the member countries to overcome financial-monetary crisis.

    The ASEM conference on agriculture cooperation held in Beijing in December 2003 discussed issues of agricultural policy, trade and investment, sustainable agricultural development and organic agriculture, farm product quality and safety control, and agricultural biotechnology.

    The members called for larger cooperation in the agricultural sector and closer cooperation in biotechnology utilization to ensure protection of bio-diversity, environment and health of people and animals.

    The group has also achieved progress in cooperation in other fields. Under the Asia-Europe Foundation launched in 1997, cultural, intellectual and people-to-people exchange has been promoted. More than 200 projects have been developed, involving more than 5,000 Asian and European citizens.

    The first ASEM conference on cultures and civilization held in Beijing in December 2003 passed policy directions for future cooperation, including expanding the work of ASEM in the field of cultural and educational exchanges.

    Further more, the ASEM established the Asia-Europe Environmental technology Center in Thailand as a channel of cooperation in the area while experience has been shared in healthcare among the ASEM members.

    As programs have been worked out and actions have been started,the inter-continent dialogue and cooperation mechanism is functioning. The ASEM leaders are to give another push to the process of cooperation at the Hanoi meeting.

    They are expected to adopt a number of documents on economic partnership and cultural and civilization dialogue, as a policy guide to the ongoing cooperation. Enditem