The 37th meeting of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Board of Governors kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on November 30, gathering governors from 53 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) members.

The opening ceremony of 37th meeting of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Board of Governors

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Nguyen Nguyet Nga, Vietnamese Governor at the ASEF, stressed that the event is a chance for Vietnam to promote its role and position at the ASEM.

Amid numerous challenges affecting regions and multi-lateral cooperation, ASEM is on the verge of transition, and ASEF holds a bigger role in increasing the position of ASEM, Nga said.

Vietnam always attaches importance to ASEM and backs the important role of ASEF in strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between the two continents’ people and in fostering the Asia-Europe partnership.

On the sidelines of the meeting, which lasts until December 2, Vietnam will coordinate with ASEF to hold a policy dialogue on building a vision for comprehensive Asia-Europe relations in the 21st century.

Hosting the 37th ASEF Board of Governors meeting manifests Vietnam’s contributions to joint efforts to realise ASEM leaders’ decisions on leverage ASEM and ASEF cooperation in the next decade.

ASEF was established in 1997 during the first ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The Singapore-based ASEF is the only permanently established institution of ASEM and is funded by voluntary contributions from its member governments and shares the financing of its projects with its civil society partners across Asia and Europe.

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) promotes greater mutual understanding between Asia and Europe through intellectual, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Through ASEF, civil society concerns are included as a vital component of deliberations of the ASEM.  Since 1997, the foundation has implemented over 650 projects, engaging over 17,000 direct participants as well as reaching out to a much wider audience in Asia and Europe. -VNA