Ambassador Claude BLANCHEMAISON (France), Chair, ASEF Board of Governors
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was established in 1996 to strengthen the relationship between Asia and Europe. ASEM membership is based on a shared vision to create a new partnership between these two important continents and their civilizations. A year later, ASEM established the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) to foster dialogue and forge mutual understanding between the two regions. Today, almost 18 years after its establishment, ASEF has played a significant role as an intellectual bridge-builder to connect artists and cultural practitioners, academics and students, civil society representatives and policymakers, experts and youth, journalists and common people from both Asia and Europe.
In 2014, ASEM’s membership expanded once again to include two new members during the 10th ASEM Summit in October in Milan, Italy. In this regard, I would like to welcome Croatia, a new EU member state, and Kazakhstan, the first Central Asian member, to ASEM as well as to ASEF. Their formal entry can be regarded as a reflection of ASEM’s continued relevance and value as an informal dialogue process. I am confident that ASEM will continue to fulfil its vision in the face of new global challenges such as the fight against terrorism, conventional and non-conventional security issues, world economic and financial problems, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, the prevention and mitigation of disasters, inter-cultural exchanges and good governance. One of the biggest achievements of ASEM is probably the informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights, organised each year by ASEF.
ASEF, as the only brick and mortar institution of ASEM, takes forward the mandate of ASEM through multi-faceted programmes and projects such as conferences, seminars and workshops in the areas of culture, economy, education, governance, public health and sustainable development. Through the years, ASEF has played a key role in providing the setting for the civil societies of Asia and Europe to develop recommendations and share them with the ASEM governments. ASEF actively participates in and contributes to ASEM’s inter-governmental meetings, such as the last 10th ASEM Summit in which ASEF’s contributions were acknowledged.
2014 also witnessed some changes in the leadership of ASEF’s Board of Governors. It is a great honour for me to be the successor of my friend, H.E. Ambassador Prof. Rosario MANALO from the Philippines. I will do my best to follow her excellent example as well as to be guided by my colleagues and ASEF’s Executive Director, Ambassador ZHANG Yan, to help design the future orientation of the organisation in order to address new challenges and issues such as climate change, sustainable development, urbanisation, energy, creative industries, e-learning and good governance.
ASEF’s success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of its main stakeholders, the ASEM governments, ASEF’s partners and participants, and most importantly, by my fellow Governors and the highly dedicated ASEF management team and staff. I would like to commend the entire ASEF team for their hard work, dedication and belief in ASEF’s vision and mission in bringing together the people and institutions of Asia and Europe.
Ambassador Claude BLANCHEMAISON (France)
Chair, ASEF Board of Governors
