MANILA, Oct. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will seek a stronger engagement with the EuropeanUnion in the upcoming summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which will be held on Thursday in Hanoi, Vietnam, the government said Wednesday.

    Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that the president's initiatives are intended to enhance cooperation with the expanded EU in the fields of trade, tourism, security, environment protection and international migration.

    "She will strongly advocate for a closer ASEM economic partnership," Bunye said.

    The landmark summit, also referred to as ASEM 5, bears the theme "Further Revitalizing and Substantiating the Asia-Europe Partnership."

    It will bring together for the first time the 25-member countries of the EU and the ASEAN + 3 grouping, composed of 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, and China, Japan and South Korea.

    Accompanying President Arroyo are Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Trade and Industry Secretary Cesar Purisima and other senior government officials.

    Bunye said that the recent EU expansion from 15 to 25 members represents an integrated market of about 455 million people.

    "With its enlargement the European Union now represents the biggest single market in the world. We also have half a million Filipinos spread throughout several EU countries. The president considers diplomatic ties with the European Union as a major pillar of our foreign policy," he stressed.

    Bunye also noted that the president views the summit as a good opportunity for the Philippines to thank several ASEAN and EU leaders for their continuing support to the Philippine government's peace agenda with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

    "With the arrival of the international peace monitors and sustained cessation of hostilities between the MILF and our military, the president can inform world leaders present at the ASEM Summit that the Mindanao peace agenda is now at an advanced stage," Bunye added.

    Since its first summit held in 1996 in Bangkok, Thailand, ASEM has become a venue for closer and constructive engagement between Asia and Europe.

    To date, ASEM has had a total of four summits, the last of which was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2002. Enditem