ID :
144285
Thu, 09/30/2010 - 09:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/144285
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIAN PM TO ATTEND ASEM SUMMIT, SIGNALS GREATER PARTNERSHIP WITH EU
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
will lead the Malaysian delegation to the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) Summit on Oct 4-5 in Brussels, Belgium.
The visit also marks the first time a Malaysian prime minister is visiting
the European Union (EU), a fact which the Head of the EU Delegation to Malaysia,
Vincent Piket, described as ushering in a new phase for greater cooperation
between Malaysian and the EU.
"The upcoming Summit is particularly meaningful as for the first time a
Malaysia prime minister is visiting the EU.
"We see it as a reflection of the Malaysian government's recognition that
the Malaysia-EU relationship has been evolving in a very positive manner and has
been expanding in the last couple of years," he told a news conference after the
"Asem 8 Dialogue - Ways Forward for the Asia-Europe Cooperation" here Wednesday.
The forum was opened by Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary-General
Husni Zai Yaacob.
Malaysia has been attending the biennial summit since its inception in 1996.
Asem currently has 45 members where 16 of them are from Asia. The Summit in
Brussels this time will see the admission of Russia, Australia and New Zealand
as its new members.
Together, the 48 partners represent over 60 per cent of the world's
population and over 60 per cent of global trade.
The theme for this year's summit is "Quality of Life, Achieving Greater
Well-being and More Dignity for All Citizens".
Belgium's ambassador to Malaysia Dr Frank Van De Craen said Asem leaders
would discuss a wide range of topics, from global economic governance to
sustainable development and piracy at sea.
Other issues are counter-terrorism, organised crime and human rights, reform
of the United Nations, weapons non-proliferation and disarmament.
Apart from that, the Asia Europe Business Forum, Asia Europe Parliamentary
Partnership meeting and the Asia-Europe Peoples Forum would also run
concurrently as part of the summit's side events, Van de Craen said.
Meanwhile, Husni said Malaysia had always had a good and substantive
relationship with the EU as a whole as well as bilaterally with individual
member states.
EU is the fourth largest trading partner for Malaysia and in Asean region,
Malaysia is the second largest trading partner for the EU.
Bilateral trade between Malaysia and the EU totalled US$21.5 billion in the
first seven months of this year, reflecting an increase of 20.6 per cent from
the corresponding period last year.
"The EU's investment amounted to US$13.6 billion as at Dec 31 last year.
Manufacturing is the major EU's investment in Malaysia. In the EU, Malaysia's
investments are largely in equity, with a total of US$1.9 billion in 2009," he
added.
-- BERNAMA
will lead the Malaysian delegation to the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) Summit on Oct 4-5 in Brussels, Belgium.
The visit also marks the first time a Malaysian prime minister is visiting
the European Union (EU), a fact which the Head of the EU Delegation to Malaysia,
Vincent Piket, described as ushering in a new phase for greater cooperation
between Malaysian and the EU.
"The upcoming Summit is particularly meaningful as for the first time a
Malaysia prime minister is visiting the EU.
"We see it as a reflection of the Malaysian government's recognition that
the Malaysia-EU relationship has been evolving in a very positive manner and has
been expanding in the last couple of years," he told a news conference after the
"Asem 8 Dialogue - Ways Forward for the Asia-Europe Cooperation" here Wednesday.
The forum was opened by Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary-General
Husni Zai Yaacob.
Malaysia has been attending the biennial summit since its inception in 1996.
Asem currently has 45 members where 16 of them are from Asia. The Summit in
Brussels this time will see the admission of Russia, Australia and New Zealand
as its new members.
Together, the 48 partners represent over 60 per cent of the world's
population and over 60 per cent of global trade.
The theme for this year's summit is "Quality of Life, Achieving Greater
Well-being and More Dignity for All Citizens".
Belgium's ambassador to Malaysia Dr Frank Van De Craen said Asem leaders
would discuss a wide range of topics, from global economic governance to
sustainable development and piracy at sea.
Other issues are counter-terrorism, organised crime and human rights, reform
of the United Nations, weapons non-proliferation and disarmament.
Apart from that, the Asia Europe Business Forum, Asia Europe Parliamentary
Partnership meeting and the Asia-Europe Peoples Forum would also run
concurrently as part of the summit's side events, Van de Craen said.
Meanwhile, Husni said Malaysia had always had a good and substantive
relationship with the EU as a whole as well as bilaterally with individual
member states.
EU is the fourth largest trading partner for Malaysia and in Asean region,
Malaysia is the second largest trading partner for the EU.
Bilateral trade between Malaysia and the EU totalled US$21.5 billion in the
first seven months of this year, reflecting an increase of 20.6 per cent from
the corresponding period last year.
"The EU's investment amounted to US$13.6 billion as at Dec 31 last year.
Manufacturing is the major EU's investment in Malaysia. In the EU, Malaysia's
investments are largely in equity, with a total of US$1.9 billion in 2009," he
added.
-- BERNAMA
