The European Commission on Tuesday set out a broad vision for closer ties with Asia accenting more give-and-take in trade, security, investment and poverty reduction.
"Asia's importance for the EU is beyond question, whether economically, politically, culturally, or in relation to regional and global challenges such as poverty, environment, or democracy and human rights," External Relations Commission Chris Patten said in a statement.
"I invite our member states and our partners in the region to reflect on how we can work together to achieve this common goal," he said.
"In Asia, and particularly east Asia, the financial crisis in 1997 had a major economic, social and even political impact," he said.
"Our interdependence has continued to intensify, calling for stronger partnerships to address both the challenges and opportunities that globalization present." |
