HANOI, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Asian and European leaders concluded a summit here on Saturday after adopting a number of documents, declaring their desire to further promote economic and cultural relations and enhance political dialogue between the two continents.

    The two-day summit of the fifth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has gained a considerable achievement in revitalizing the partnership between the two regions.

    The meeting "will go down into history as the first summit of an enlarged ASEM, a summit of bold vision and strong resolve to elevate the Asia-Europe partnership to a new stage of more substantive and effective cooperation, particularly in the economic and cultural domains," said Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at the closing ceremony Saturday.

    The leaders from 13 Asian and 25 European nations and the European Commission at the meeting adopted the ASEM 5 Chairman's Statement, the Hanoi Declaration on Closer Asia-Europe Partnershipand the Declaration on Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations.

    The three major documents will guide the eight-year-old inter-continent group to step up their process of cooperation, maturing itself in function.

    The leaders agreed to enhance political dialogue to join efforts to deal with emerging challenges.

    They reached the common view that dialogue and cooperation should be fostered on the basis of mutual respect, understanding, equality and mutual benefit to secure their fundamental interests of stability and development.

    They also showed their strong commitment to effective multilateralism and to a fair and just rule-based international order, with the United Nations playing the central role.

    With the Hanoi Declaration on Closer Asia-Europe Partnership, which outlines directions and measures for strengthening ASEM economic cooperation, the countries from the two regions will increase their economic activities, promote trade relations and strengthen financial cooperation in the years to come.

    To ensure the inter-continent cooperation and the ASEM unity indiversity, the meeting also adopted the Declaration on Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations.

    Under the declaration, the leaders endorsed a wide range of newinitiatives to promote and expand cooperation in the domains of culture, social affairs, education, health care and environment.

    One of the major achievements of the ASEM 5 was its enlargement.Thirteen new members, including three Asian countries and 10 European Union new members, were officially admitted to ASEM on Thursday, bringing the grouping's total member to 39.

    "This enlargement is an eloquent testimony to the success and attractiveness of the process," said Phan Van Khai at the enlargement ceremony on Thursday.

    For the future of ASEM, the leaders agreed to turn ASEM into a mechanism of broad cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit, laying the foundation for a comprehensive Asia-Europe partnership in the 21st century, said Khai at the summit's closingceremony on Saturday. Enditem