Asia-Europe Meeting

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an intergovernmental process established in 1996 to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe.

ASEM addresses political, economic, financial, social, cultural, and educational issues of common interest in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. Its foremost event, the ASEM Summit, is a biennial meeting between the Heads of State and Government, the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN. In addition, ASEM Ministers & Senior Officials also meet in their respective sectoral dialogues.

The initial ASEM Partnership in 1996 consisted of 15 EU Member States, 7 ASEAN Member States, China, Japan, Korea and the European Commission. Today, ASEM comprises 53 Partners: 30 European and 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat.

Through its informal process based on equal partnership and enhancing mutual understanding, ASEM facilitates and stimulates progress but does not seek to duplicate bilateral and other multilateral relationships between Asia and Europe.