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Asia-Europe Meeting promoted cooperation between EU countries and Asian countries

Government Communications Department
Publication date 19.10.2018 16.36 | Published in English on 22.10.2018 at 14.38
Press release 490/2018

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä took part in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels on 18 and 19 October. ASEM is the main forum for Asia-Europe dialogue and cooperation.

In his plenary session speech, Prime Minister Sipilä raised the subject of the recent report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and called for urgent action against climate change.

“We must meet the commitments we made in the Paris Agreement and participate in implementing the sustainable development goals of 2030 Agenda. It is important for leaders of both European and Asian countries to have a common understanding of the future of sustainable development”, Prime Minister Sipilä said.

In his speech, Sipilä also stressed that without gender equality sustainable development cannot be achieved.  In the working lunch for the ASEM leaders after the plenary session, Sipilä called for responsible state action in cyberspace. 

The ASEM Summit decided to continue its connectivity work in connection with ASEM cooperation. Connectivity applies to transport and communications connections, energy cooperation and cross-border interaction between people. The earlier connectivity madate terminated at the Brussels Summit. The decision to continue with connectivity efforts is important, because securing connections between Europe and Asia has a significant bearing on the world economy.

In connection with the meeting, Prime Minister Sipilä also held bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc of Vietnam. 

Inquiries: Jani Raappana, Special Adviser (international affairs), tel. +358 295 160 306, Prime Minister's Office, Kimmo Lähdevirta, Head of Unit, tel.  +358 295 351 746, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU and International Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister's Office

 
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