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About|ASEM|ASEANIndia

AboutAsiaEuropeMeeting(ASEM)
1.TheAsiaEuropeMeeting(ASEM)isadialogueforumestablishedin1996with26partnerstobridgeAsiaandEurope.
Overthelast18years,itsmembershiphasexpandedto53,commensuratewiththegrowingweightofAsiaandEurope
in the global economy and increase in regional and global interdependence. Its 53 partners include 51 member
countries (European plus Asian countries) and 2 international organisations (ASEAN Secretariat and European
Commission).ASEMrepresentsaround60%oftheworld'spopulation,50%oftheglobalGDPandalmost60%ofthe
world'strade.IndiabecameamemberofASEMin2007duringitssecondexpansionfrom39to45members.
2.Throughout its evolution, ASEM has maintained a consistent edge as a Forum for political dialogue between member
countrieswithdiverseandcomplementingcapacities.Interdependence,equalpartnership,mutualrespectandbenefit,
an open and evolutionary process and equal impetus to the three key dimensions of political dialogue, economic
cooperationandsocioculturalcooperationarekeyprinciplesinASEM.
3.ASEMSummitLevelmeetingsareheldbiennially.10ASEMSummitshavebeenheldsofarandthe10thSummitwas
heldrecentlyonOctober1617,2014inMilan,Italy.IndiasfirstSummitlevelparticipationwasatthe7thSummitheld
inBeijingon2425October2008,wherePrimeMinisterledtheIndiandelegation.The8thASEMSummitwasheldin
Brussels on 45 October 2010 where Vice President led the Indian delegation. The Indian delegation was led by
ExternalAffairsMinisterinthe9thASEMSummitheldinVientiane,LaoPDRfromNovember56,2012.
4.MoS(VKS)ledtheIndiandelegationtothe10thSummit(ASEM10)heldonOctober1617inMilan,Italy.TheSummit
washostedbythePrimeMinisterofItalyandChairedbythePresidentoftheEuropeanCouncilandattendedbyHeads
of State/Government or high level representatives of 51 Asian and European countries, Secretary General/ASEAN
Secretariat, President of the European Commission. During the Summit, the leaders exchanged views on global
economic and financial issues of common interest as well as traditional and nontraditional security challenges and
agreedtostrengthenASEMsthreepillarsofcooperationi.e.politicaldialogue,economiccooperationandsociocultural
cooperation.
5.Apart from the biennial Summits and Meetings of the Foreign Ministers, the Ministers of Finance, Education, Culture,
Transport,Mayors&GovernorsandParliamentariansalsomeetregularly.Inthe11thASEMFinanceMinistersMeeting
held in Milan, Italy from September 1112, 2014, Finance Secretary participated and in the 8th Asia Europe
Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP8) held in Rome, Italy from October 67, 2014 our Ambassador to Italy
participated. In the meeting of Asia Europe Business Forum (AEBP) held on October 1516, 2014, Deputy Consul
General from Consulate General of India, Milan participated. In the 6th ASEM Culture Ministers Meeting held on
October2021,2014inRotterdam,Netherlands,JS(Culture),MinistryofCultureparticipated.
6.India hosted the 11th ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting (ASEM FMM11) from November 1112, 2013 which was
inauguratedbytheVicePresidentofIndia.ItmarkedthebeginningofaneworientationforfutureASEMmeetings,as
membersagreedthatthedynamismofASEMshouldfindexpressionintangibleresultorientedinitiativeswhichcould
beutilizedtodefinejointresponsesbyAsiaandEuropetoglobalandregionalchallengesandalsoseizeopportunities
forgrowthanddevelopment.12areaswereidentifiedinASEMFMM11fortangiblecooperation.Foreacharea,multiple
countrieshaveexpressedinterestinenhancingcooperation.Withtheadditionof4moreareas,includingTechnologies
for Diagnostics proposed by India in the 10th ASEM Summit, the list has now 16 areas for Tangible Cooperation
amongstASEMmembers.
7.ThefollowingareIndiasinitiativesundertheareasidentifiedfortangiblecooperation:
(i)ASEMRoundtableon"EnergyEfficiencyinGreenBuildingswasorganizedbytheConfederationofIndianIndustry
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aspartoftheGreenBuildingCongress2014onSeptember5,2014inHyderabad.
(ii) ASEM Session on "Cooperation between Asia & Europe in Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology &
Medical Devices Sector as part of Knowledgexpo2014 was held on November 20, 2014 in New Delhi in association
withtheConfederationofIndianIndustryandDepartmentofBiotechnology.
(iii)Roundtableson"InnovationsinTechnologiesforDisasterRescueEffortsamongstASEMcountries,backtoback
withthe"InaugurationoftheVirtualKnowledgePortal(VKP)andMeetingofthe24x7PoCsoftheEASCountrieswas
heldonDecember45,2014inNewDelhiinassociationwiththeMinistryofHomeAffairs.Indianpartnersassociated
with this initiative include National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce(FICCI),NationalDisasterManagementAuthority(NDMA)andNationalDisasterReliefForce(NDRF).
(iv)Roundtableon"TowardsEfficient&SustainableWaterManagementthroughpartnershipamongstASEMCountries
aspartofWaterIndia2015washeldon27February2015inNewDelhi.ConfederationofIndianIndustryorganizedthis
eventwithNationalWaterMissionasknowledgepartner.
(v)The11thMeetingoftheASEMDirectorGenerals/CommissionersofCustomstookplaceinGoafrom89October,
2015.
(vi)Indiaalsoorganizedthe2ndASEMRoundtableonGreenBuildingson20November,2015inGandhinagar,Gujarat.
(v) India is a Member of the ASEM Working Group on Press and Public Awareness Management Strategy. As a
memberofthisWorkingGroup,IndiahostedaForeignPolicyModuleforASEMDiplomatson"DiplomacyandForeign
PolicyAnIndianPerspectivefrom913March,2015attheForeignServiceInstitute,NewDelhi.

8.The20thAnniversaryCelebrationsofASEMwouldbeheldin2016.IndiaisaMemberoftheASEMWorkingGroupon
the20thAnniversaryCelebrationofASEMin2016.AsamemberoftheWorkingGroup,Indiawouldhostthefollowing
eventsaspartof20thAnniversaryCelebrationsofASEM:
(i) ASEM Youth Summit on 26 March 2016 in New Delhi in partnership with CII, focussing on the theme of building
networksamongstyouthinASEMcountries.
(ii)Workshopon"ConservationTechniques&InstrumentsdrivenbyINTACH(IndianNationalTrustforArtandCultural
Heritage)fromOctober2021,2016inNewDelhi.

9.The Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF) is the only permanently established institution of ASEM. India was regularly
contributingUS$100,000annuallytoASEFsinceitsbecomingamemberofASEMin2007andtill2010tosupportthe
collaborative initiatives being undertaken by ASEF. Increased annual contribution of US$120,000 is being made by
India from 2011 onwards. India also made available Rs.22 lakhs (Equivalent to US$ 43,780/) to ASEF for organizing
the9thASEFsJournalistsColloquiuminNewDelhifromNovember1012,2013onsidelinesofASEMFMM11.ASEF
inassociationwiththeIndianNationalTrustforArtandCulturalHeritage(INTACH)hadorganisedaConference/Training
Programme in Delhi from October 2527, 2014 under the "AsiaEurope Network of Urban Heritage for Sustainable
Creative Economies to share the processes and outcome of activities of the network in different parts of Asia and
Europe.

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10.ASEF has successfully undertaken its Summer University Project on "Sustainable Urbanization in Heritage Cities in
IndiainassociationwithMinistryofExternalAffairsandINTACHduringtheperiod921August,2015,heldatSymbiosis
International University, Pune. The programme was very successful and students from more than 47 countries
participatedinthisProject.
11.The12thASEMForeignMinistersMeeting(ASEMFMM12)washeldinLuxembourgfromNovember56,2015.Gen.
(Retd.)V.K.Singh,MinisterofStateforExternalAffairsledtheIndiandelegation.
12.The 11th ASEM Summit will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 1516 July. The 20th Anniversary Celebrations of
ASEMwillbeheldduringtheSummit

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