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This edited volume examines contemporary relations between Europe and Asia through the prism of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). ASEM is an informal forum for dialogue and cooperation between 53 partners from both regions. Having started in 1996, ASEM aims to enhance political dialogue, strengthen economic cooperation, and promote socio-cultural exchange. The book provides insights into past achievements, current challenges, and possible new directions for ASEM as a dialogue forum. The chapters focus on institutional design, the security agenda, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange and civil society outreach through the Asia-Europe Foundation. They also zoom in on ASEM's Parliamentary Partnership, and the ongoing challenge of public awareness and visibility. Furthermore, they critically examine the implications of the widening process, the attempts to reinvigorate the forum, and the varied perspectives on ASEM's value for both regions. Appealing to policy-makers, researchers, andstudents, this volume provides an in-depth analysis of a wide range of issues relating to the role of ASEM in contemporary international relations.
List of contents
Chapter 1: The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM): Background, Purpose, and Functions (Bart Gaens).- Chapter 2: ASEM and the Security Agenda - Talking the Talk but Also Walking the Walk? (Axel Berkofsky).- Chapter 3: ASEM: Partnership for Greater Growth? (Gauri Khandekar).- Chapter 4: A Value-Added ASEM: The Socio-Cultural Dialogue (Huong Le Thu).- Chapter 5: ASEM and the People's Involvement: A Focus on the Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP) (Silja Keva).- Chapter 6: ASEM and the Promotion of Connectivity between Asian and European Publics (Lai Suet-Yi).- Chapter 7: ASEM's Process of Enlargement and its Implications (Bart Gaens).- Chapter 8: Reinventing ASEM: A Need for Relevance (Gauri Khandekar).- Chapter 9: The Value and Limitations of Comprehensive Multilateralism: An EU Perspective on the Asia-Europe Meeting (Thomas Christiansen and Shelly Tsui).- Chapter 10: ASEM: An Asian perspective (Roopmati Khandekar).
About the author
Bart Gaens is Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). He is also Specially-Appointed Associate Professor at the University of Osaka, Japan, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki. He has published on Europe-Asia relations with special focus on the ASEM process.
Gauri Khandekar is Deputy Director and Director Europe at think tank Global Relations Forum based in its office in Brussels, Belgium. Gauri is the author of five books on Asia-Europe relations.
Summary
This edited volume examines contemporary relations between Europe and Asia through the prism of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). ASEM is an informal forum for dialogue and cooperation between 53 partners from both regions. Having started in 1996, ASEM aims to enhance political dialogue, strengthen economic cooperation, and promote socio-cultural exchange. The book provides insights into past achievements, current challenges, and possible new directions for ASEM as a dialogue forum. The chapters focus on institutional design, the security agenda, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange and civil society outreach through the Asia-Europe Foundation. They also zoom in on ASEM’s Parliamentary Partnership, and the ongoing challenge of public awareness and visibility. Furthermore, they critically examine the implications of the widening process, the attempts to reinvigorate the forum, and the varied perspectives on ASEM’s value for both regions. Appealing to policy-makers, researchers, andstudents, this volume provides an in-depth analysis of a wide range of issues relating to the role of ASEM in contemporary international relations.
