Europa en Azië moeten samen met hun globale partners oplossingen vinden voor deze globale crisis (en)

ASEM Summit

Beijing, 24 October 2008

Excellencies,

I am pleased to be here in Beijing at the opening of this 7th ASEM Summit.

I should like to thank China for the excellent hospitality and preparations for this important meeting.

I wish to join the previous speakers in welcoming our new members. As of today Europe is able to engage virtually the whole of Asia through ASEM. This is cause for celebration, and it means that we will be even better placed to advance our shared policy goals in the international arena.

Asia and Europe are of crucial and growing economic, political and cultural significance to each other - and to the world. ASEM now truly has the critical mass to harness the full potential of our increasingly dynamic relationship.

Indeed, in this room, we represent three fifths of the world's population (60%) and produce half of global GDP. Our combined action can and should make a real difference.

The theme of this Seventh ASEM Summit “Vision and Action – Towards a Win-Win Solution" is most appropriate as the world needs global solutions to the severe financial, economic, environmental, developmental and socio-cultural challenges it is facing.

Globalisation brings great opportunities, which we must harness as well as great challenges which we must face. I propose that Europe and Asia do so together.

Effective global leadership requires more “Action” but action informed by more understanding and better coordination, and more agreement between Leaders on “Vision”, which can only be achieved through considered dialogue .

Our challenging agenda at the outset of this Summit, is of course topped by the international financial crisis. Equally, though, climate change, sustainable development, energy security, social cohesion, and respect for human rights are no less important issues that must be faced collectively by the international community, as well as in our respective domestic policies.

The recent global financial crisis has acutely emphasised the need for a more comprehensive dialogue, deeper understanding and more substantive coordination amongst world leaders.

The swift and coordinated actions by governments and central banks have made it possible to mitigate the severe liquidity shortage. But despite the decisive measures taken by the EU, the US and many advanced and emerging economies, financial market strains are bound to persist for quite some time and there are serious concerns for growth prospects worldwide.

Asia and Europe need to act with their global partners to restore world growth, stability and confidence with strong and coherent policies.

Last weekend I joined President Sarkozy, acting as President of the European Council, at a meeting with President Bush in Camp David to coordinate action to enhance global financial stability and reinforce the international financial system.

We agreed to convene, as soon as possible, an international summit – now scheduled for 15 November in Washington - to review progress being made to address the current financial crisis and seek agreement on principles of reform needed to avoid a repetition and to assure global prosperity. Preparing and contributing to this initiative is of the highest priority for us all.

In the globalised financial market of today we all need to be involved. Europe, Asia, and the US and other major financial partners need to work together to define and agree responses to the regulatory challenges.

We will need to address the impact the current financial crisis will have on the real economy and more broadly we will have to reform the international financial system. Beyond specific problems in the financial sector, the crisis has also shown the risks of some macroeconomic imbalances and points to problems with the fundamentals of the global economy.

Just as Europe and Asia cannot avoid the effects of this crisis so must they be involved with their global partners in finding solutions to it.

And here I must leave a word of warning. We cannot meet these challenges by closing the door and simply looking after our own house. We have all benefited from trade and an open business environment. So, we should firmly resist calls for protectionism, isolation and economic nationalism. This would only harm us and our prospects for recovery.

Openness and interdependence are two sides of the same coin of globalisation. Just as we should strive for open societies, governed by the rule of law, so we must work to have open markets, but markets with rules. The interdependence of today's globalised world requires us to work together to set up these principles and rules, such as transparency, responsibility, accountability cross-border supervision and global governance.

Excellencies,

The summit's focus on Sustainable Development - encompassing the Millennium Development Goals, Climate Change, Energy Security, as well as Social Cohesion - is judicious.

Helping developing countries meet the MDGs is one of the most worthwhile efforts we can all make. And there is progress. Asia is on track to halve poverty by 2015; and we should congratulate our hosts, China, on its enormous achievement in this area.

But we need to be cautious. Not all countries or sectors have moved forward. And the progress made is threatened: the coming economic slowdown, volatile food and commodity prices, recent natural disasters and climate change effects could reverse the gains. That is why it is critically important to keep up global efforts to fight poverty and to promote our common agenda for sustainable development.

Climate Change and Energy Security are top priority for all of us. Last week’s European Summit reconfirmed the EU’s commitment to an ambitious climate change and energy security package.

We need here in Beijing to build on what was agreed in Helsinki two years ago and confirmed in the Bali roadmap; to promote an ambitious and comprehensive post-2012 agreed outcome next December in Copenhagen. This is essential for developing and developed countries alike.

And now a word on Human Rights.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is fitting that ASEM should reaffirm our shared commitment to safeguard the purposes and principles promoted in this first world-wide statement on the basic indivisible human rights. We should underline our commitment to cooperate in the promotion and protection of Human Rights globally. Human Rights are universal by nature and we all have a responsibility to uphold them.

In sum, I am greatly encouraged by the intensification of activity under all three ASEM pillars - political, economic and socio-cultural - since Helsinki, underlining ASEM’s strength as a facilitator of dialogue, a policy laboratory and its commitment to strengthening multilateralism.

ASEM has grown, exploiting the flexibility and informality that is one of its defining characteristics to build consensus on any issue of mutual concern.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

These are unprecedented times that require unprecedented measures. In crisis we can also find opportunity if we make common cause in facing up to the global challenges of today. Asia and Europe have come together here today in Beijing to address these challenges and find win-win solutions. For the sake of all our peoples in Europe and Asia, I wish us a most productive and constructive summit.

Thank you for your attention.