【亚欧会议简介】

亚欧会议（Asia-Europe Meeting，简称ASEM）成立于1996年，是亚洲和欧洲间重要的跨区域政府间论坛，旨在通过政治对话、经济合作和社会文化交流，增进了解，加强互信，推动建立亚欧新型、全面伙伴关系。

【成立】

1996年3月1日至2日，首届亚欧首脑会议在泰国曼谷举行，来自亚、欧两大洲的25国和欧盟委员会的领导人出席。其中，亚洲为泰国、马来西亚、菲律宾、印度尼西亚、文莱、新加坡、越南、中国、日本和韩国。欧洲为欧盟15个成员国，即意大利、德国、法国、荷兰、比利时、卢森堡、丹麦、爱尔兰、英国、希腊、西班牙、葡萄牙、奥地利、芬兰、瑞典以及欧盟委员会。会议的主要议题包括亚欧会议的意义，亚欧在政治、经济、文化等领域的合作，亚欧会议的后续行动等。会议通过了《主席声明》，并确定每两年召开一次首脑会议。

【成员】

2004年10月，在越南河内举行的第五届亚欧首脑会议上，亚洲的柬埔寨、老挝和缅甸三国及欧盟10个新成员（塞浦路斯、捷克、爱沙尼亚、匈牙利、拉脱维亚、立陶宛、马耳他、波兰、斯洛伐克、斯洛文尼亚）正式加入，实现了亚欧会议的首次扩大。2006年9月，在芬兰赫尔辛基举行的第六届亚欧首脑会议决定接纳蒙古、印度、巴基斯坦、东盟秘书处、保加利亚和罗马尼亚6个新成员，亚欧会议成员增至45个。2010年10月，在比利时布鲁塞尔举行的第八届亚欧首脑会议决定接纳俄罗斯、澳大利亚、新西兰3个新成员，亚欧会议成员增至48个。2012年11月，在老挝万象举行的第九届亚欧首脑会议正式吸收孟加拉国、瑞士和挪威3国加入，亚欧会议成员增至51个。2014年10月，在意大利米兰举行的第十届亚欧首脑会议正式吸收哈萨克斯坦和克罗地亚加入，亚欧会议成员增至53个。

【宗旨与原则】

根据首届亚欧会议通过的《主席声明》，亚欧会议的目标是在亚欧两大洲之间建立旨在促进增长的新型、全面伙伴关系，加强相互对话、了解与合作，为经济和社会发展创造有利条件，维护世界和平与稳定。

亚欧会议遵循以下原则：各成员之间对话的基础应是相互尊重、平等、促进基本权利、遵守国际法规定的义务、不干涉他国内部事务；合作应是开放和循序渐进的，后续行动应在协商一致的基础上进行；新成员加入须先获得所在地区支持，再由首脑会议协商一致决定。

【合作领域】

亚欧会议包括政治对话、经贸合作、社会文化及其他领域交流三大支柱。亚欧各成员在各层面开展政治对话，增进相互了解和信任；在经贸合作方面，积极开展宏观经济和财经政策对话，制定并落实《亚欧更紧密经济伙伴关系河内宣言》，共同致力于促进两地区经济和贸易稳定增长；在文化交流和文明对话方面共识不断增多，通过《亚欧会议文化与文明对话宣言》，制订了中长期亚欧文化合作的规划文件。各成员在科技、能源、劳动、反恐、执法、环境和青年等领域也开展了合作。

【活动机制】

亚欧会议活动机制包括首脑会议、外长会议以及其他专业领域部长级会议等，日常工作通过高官会进行沟通协调。

亚欧首脑会议：负责确定亚欧会议的指导原则和发展方向，隔年在亚洲和欧洲轮流举行，迄今已举办10届，第11届首脑会议将于2016年7月在蒙古乌兰巴托举行。

亚欧外长会议：负责亚欧会议活动的整体协调和政策规划，通过有关指导性文件并批准新倡议。外长会议每两年举行一次，迄已举办11届，第12届外长会议将于2015年11月在卢森堡举行。

亚欧高官会议：负责协调和管理亚欧会议各领域活动，并对首脑会议、外长会议预做准备，包括审议新倡议和磋商文件，以及就共同关心的国际地区问题初步交换看法。高官会通常不定期在亚欧之间轮流举行，每年两至三次。

亚欧会议协调员机制：负责日常协调，由亚欧各两个成员组成。

亚欧会议还举行经济、财政、文化部长和海关署长及科技、环境、教育、交通、农业、中小企业、劳动等其他专业部长级会议，负责在各自领域落实首脑会议决定，制定合作规划和开展相关活动。

亚欧工商论坛：系亚欧会议各成员工商界定期对话机制，旨在增进相互了解，促进企业间贸易、投资和技术合作，并向首脑会议和相关部长级会议提交工商界对重大问题的看法和建议，迄今已举办14届。

亚欧议会伙伴会议：由亚欧会议成员国议会与欧洲议会组成，系非正式议会间论坛，旨在通过加强亚欧会议成员议会间的对话，增进亚欧人民之间的了解，推动亚欧会议进程，迄今已举办8届。

亚欧人民论坛：为亚欧会议成员民间团体自行发起并参与的非政府组织论坛，主要讨论和平与安全、经济与社会、民主和人权等三大领域问题，迄今已举办10届。

【亚欧基金】

亚欧基金（Asia-Europe Foundation，简称ASEF）成立于1997年，是亚欧会议框架下唯一常设机构，负责开展亚欧学术、文化和人员交流活动，致力于加强亚欧相互了解，资金来源以亚欧会议各成员自愿捐款为主。办事机构设在新加坡，为推动亚欧民间交流的重要渠道。

中国前驻印度大使张炎于2012年11月就任亚欧基金第六任总干事，任期至2016年10月底。

Asia-Europe Meeting

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM for short) was launched in 1996 and has served as an important transregional intergovernmental forum for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe.It aims at enhancing mutual understanding,strengthening mutual trust,and promoting the establishment of new Asia-Europe comprehensive partnership through political dialogue,economic cooperation and social and cultural exchange.

[Initiation]The 1st ASEM Summit was held in Bangkok,Thailand on March 1 to 2,1996.The leaders from 25 Asian and European countries and from the European Commission attended this summit.The Asian countries include Thailand,Malaysia,Philippines,Indonesia,Brunei,Singapore,Vietnam,China,Japan and Korea and the European countries include 15 European Union countries — Italy,Germany,France,Netherlands,Belgium,Luxembourg,Denmark,Ireland,UK,Greece,Spain,Portugal,Austria,Finland,and Sweden and the European Commission.Key issues under discussion at this summit included the significance of ASEM,cooperation of Asia and Europe in such fields as politics,economy and culture and follow-up actions of ASEM.At this summit,the Chairman's Statement was passed and it was determined the summit be held every two years.

[Members]At the 5th ASEM Summit held in Hanoi,Vietnam,October 2004,three Asian countries - Cambodia,Laos and Myanmar and 10 new EU member countries - Cyprus,Czech Republic,Estonia,Hungary,Latvia,Republic of Lithuania,Malta,Poland,Slovakia,and Slovenia formally joined,witnessing the 1st expansion of ASEM.In September 2006,it was decided at the 6th ASEM Summit held in Helsinki,Finland to admit such 6 new members as Mongolia,India,Pakistan,the ASEAN Secretariat,Bulgaria and Rumania.Till then,the ASEM members had increased to 45.In October 2010,three new members,including Russia,Australia and New Zealand were admitted at the 8th ASEM Summit held in Brussels,Belgium,with the members increased to 48.In November 2012,Bangladesh,Switzerland and Norway were admitted at the 9th ASEM Summit held in Vientiane,Laos,with the members increased to 51.In October 2014,Kazakhstan and Croatia were admitted formally at the 10th ASEM Summit held in Milan,Italy,with the members increased to 53.

[Objectives and Principles]In accordance with the Chairman's Statement passed at the 1st ASEM,the ASEM is intended to establish a new comprehensible partnership between Asia and Europe with a purpose of promoting growth,enhancing mutual dialogue,understanding and cooperation,creating favorable conditions for social and economic development and maintaining world peace and stability.

ASEM observes the following principles: the dialogue between all the members shall be on the basis of mutual respect,equality,promotion of basic rights,compliance with the obligations specified in the International Law and no interference with the internal affairs of other countries;the cooperation shall be open and progressive and followup actions shall be taken on the basis of consensus;a new member must firstly win the regional support and then obtain the unanimous decision at the summit for admittance.

[Cooperation]The ASEM includes three pillars: political dialogue,economic and trade cooperation,exchange of social culture and other fields.In terms of political dialogue,all Asia-Europe members shall carry out political dialogue at each level to enhance mutual understanding and trust;in terms of economic and trade cooperation,they shall actively conduct dialogues on macroeconomic and financial policies,formulate and implement the Hanoi Declaration on Closer ASEM Economic Partnership,and jointly contribute to promoting the steady economic and trade growth of two regions;in terms of cultural exchange and dialogue among cultures,they have built greater consensus,passed ASEM Declaration on Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations and developed a planning document for medium and long term Asia – Europe culture cooperation.Each member has also cooperated in such fields as science ＆ technology,energy,labor,anti-terrorist,law enforcement,environment and youth affairs.

[Mechanism]The ASEM consists of ASEM Summit,ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting,ASEM Ministerial Meeting of other professional fields and the like.Daily affairs are negotiated through ASEM Senior Officials' Meeting.

ASEM Summit: It is responsible for determining the guiding principle and development direction of ASEM and is held in Asia and Europe in turn every other year.So far,it has been held 10 sessions and the 11th ASEM Summit will be held in Ulan Bator,Mongolia,in July 2016.

ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting: It is responsible for overall coordination and policy planning of ASEM activities and for passing of related guiding documents and approval of new initiatives.This meeting is held every two years and has so far been held 11 sessions.The 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be held in Luxembourg and in November 2015.

ASEM Senior Officials' Meeting: It is responsible for coordination and management of ASEM activities in each field and for preparations of ASEM Summit and ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting,including review of new initiatives,discussion of documents and initial exchange of views on mutually concerned international and regional issues.This meeting is held in turn in an Asia or European country irregularly (twice to three times every year).

ASEM Coordinators: It is responsible for daily coordination and composed of two members from Asia and two members from Europe.

ASEM also includes the ministerial meeting for Minister of Economic Affairs,Finance Minister,Minister of Culture,the Director of Customs and the ministers of such other professional fields like science and technology,environment,education,transportation,agriculture,SME and labor.The ministerial meeting is responsible for implementing the decisions of ASEM summit in their respective field and formulating cooperative planning and carrying out relevant activities.

Asia-Europe Business Forum: As a regular dialogue mechanism of business community ASEM members,it aims at enhancing mutual understanding,promoting interenterprise trade,investment and technical cooperation,and submitting to the summit and related ministerial conference related business views and suggestions on major issues.So far,it has been held 14 sessions.

Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting: It consists of ASEM Member's Parliament and European Parliament and is a BBS between informal parliamentary system,aiming to strengthen the dialogue between ASEM members of parliament,to promote understanding between Asian and European people,and to promote the ASEM process.So far,it has been held 8 sessions.

Asia-Europe People's Forum: It is a NGO forum initiated and joined by ASEM members of civil society to mainly discuss the issues of such three fields like peace and security,economy and society,democracy and human rights.So far,it has been held 10 sessions.

[Asia-Europe Foundation]Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF for short),founded in 1997,is the only standing body under the framework of the ASEM and is responsible for conducting Asia-Europe academic,cultural and personnel exchanges to strengthen Asia-Europe mutual understanding.The funds are mainly from voluntary contributions of ASEM members.The working body is based in Singapore and functions as an important channel to promote Asia-Europe non-governmental exchange.

Zhang Yan,former ambassador to India,took office as the sixth director-general of ASEF in November 2012 with the term of office to the end of October 2016.