EU-Asian summit opens on global note
UPI
EU-Asian summit opens on global note
LONDON, April 3, (UPI) - British prime minister Tony Blair, opening
the 25-member Asia-Europe conference in London (Friday), says Europe's
friendship and support for Asia are necessary and long-lasting. The
Asian and European leaders are meeting in London to seek ways to repair
the damage of the Asian financial crisis.
bc-britain-asia
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UPI
EU-Asian summit opens on global note
LONDON, April 3, (UPI) - Promising to support Asia through ``thick
and thin,'' British Prime Minister Tony Blair today opened the two-day
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) economic conference, vowing friendship and
support.
Speaking as current President of the European Union, Blair said
European nations ``are not fair weather friends, who turn away at the
first sign of difficulty.''
But while Blair unveiled the Asia-Europe group's $45 million trust
fund for technical support of financial restructuring in Asia, only
Britain so far has announced its contribution.
Blair said Britain has earmarked $5 million for the fund.
Earlier, Thailand's deputy prime minister, Supachai Panitchpakdi,
grumbled that Western commercial banks should shoulder some blame for
Asian financial woes.
Panitchpakdi told business leaders meeting in conjunction with the
Asia-Europe summit that Europe's banks ``should have showed more
discipline'' in lending to east Asian nations.
However, Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said today that all Asia
was now resolved to repair the damage, and ``turn the situation around
as best we can.''
Meanwhile, human rights activists protested the conference, signaling
their displeasure with what they see as violations in Asian regions from
Tibet to East Timor.
European participants in the meeting include leaders from Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark,
Finland, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Asia is represented by officials of the Association of South East
Asian Nations, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; and Japan, South Korea and China.
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