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The Seventh ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting and concrete outcomes with Japan's contribution

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
May 2005

The Seventh ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM7) was held in Kyoto under the theme of "Deepening of Asia-Europe Dialogue on Global Challenges". As the hosting country, Japan led the discussions on political, economic and cultural areas as well as on the future of ASEM, and issued the Chairman's Statement. Japan's main contribution* to the FMM7 is as follows:

"Asia-Europe Partnership to Tackle Global Challenges"

- Japan proposed and gained support to the idea which aims at tackling global challenges through concrete programmes and projects among ASEM partners.

"ASEM workshop on community-level actions for global environmental agenda"

- This workshop focuses on the exchange of information and capacity-building at the local government on environmental issues, including the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiative and CO2 reduction. The workshop will be held in Tokyo in the second half of the fiscal year 2005.

A Report on the "10 Years of ASEM: Achievements and Possibilities"

- Marking the 10th anniversary of ASEM in 2006, Japan and Finland (the chair of ASEM6, 2006) will work jointly to commission a think-tank report on the objective evaluation of the past activities and the future possibilities of the ASEM process.

Building consensus for an ASEM Virtual Secretariat

- To improve the institutional mechanisms of ASEM, Japan led the discussions to form a consensus on the establishment of an ASEM Virtual Secretariat: a closed intranet system to enhance coordination and information sharing among ASEM partners.

Japan's past contribution to the ASEM process

Ministerial Meetings

September 1997

  • The First Economic Ministers' Meeting (Makuhari, Chiba)

January 2001

  • The Third Finance Ministers' Meeting (Kobe)

May 2005

  • The Seventh Foreign Ministers' Meeting (Kyoto)

Other Initiatives (Since 2003)

March 2003

  • ASEM Symposium on Multilateral and Regional Economic Relation (Tokyo)

July2003(FMM5)

  • Initiated and led the discussion on the Political Declaration on Prevention of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Their Means of Delivery.

November 2003

  • ASEM Symposium on Educational Exchange (Tsukuba)

April2004 (FMM5)

  • Main contributor in formulating the annexes to the FMM6 statement including "ASEM Working Methods".

October 2004

  • Actively contributed as one of the coordinators to the successful conclusion of the discussion on the ASEM enlargement.
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