The European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) said Thursday in a joint statement that the two regions will expand their cooperation with an "enhanced partnership."

The Nuremberg Declaration, adopted by the two regional blocs on Thursday after a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the EU and ASEAN, said the two sides, with an "enhanced partnership," will expand their cooperation in the efforts to solve the world's most burning issues such as regional security and climate change.

The declaration, a "genuine signal of deepening relations" between the two sides, is of "strategic significance," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

The declaration is the starting point for an even more intensive cooperation between Europe and Southeast Asia, said Steinmeier.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, in the chair of the ASEAN, said the two regions share common views and interest in the efforts to pursue world peace and prosperity.

The talks with the EU counterparts are "fruitful," he said.

EU chief diplomat Javier Solana also hailed the meeting as " constructive," saying the two regional blocs' common approaches to the world's most burning issues are "impressive."

The European Union has been trying to foster its ties with ASEAN after the two sides established diplomatic relations 30 years ago.

A recent example of such cooperation was the successful joint Monitoring Mission in the conflict-torn Indonesian province of Aceh, which Steinmeier said has offered "new grounds for cooperation" between the EU and ASEAN.

The strong EU ties with the ASEAN member countries was also demonstrated following tragic Tsunami in 2004 both in humanitarian support and rebuild efforts.

Meanwhile, Europe has called for more involvement by ASEAN countries in the Mideast peace process.

At least two countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, have been "very active" on the issue, according to Solana.

Climate change is also among the most urgent challenges that the two sides cannot afford to ignore, said Steinmeier.

The ambitious EU goal to fight climate change can only be achieved "if other international partners come on board," he said.

The EU leaders agreed last week in Brussels to set a binding target of 20 percent of renewable sources in the EU energy consumption by 2020 in an ambitious strategy to fight climate change.

Meanwhile, the Europeans are seeking to expand economic cooperation with the ASEAN countries, said Steinmeier, noting that the EU is ASEAN's second largest export market and third largest trading partner after the United States and Japan.

The EU is looking into possibility of a free trade agreement with ASEAN and meanwhile is also negotiating comprehensive partnership agreements with a number of ASEAN states

The ASEAN leaders agreed in January to establish a free-trade zone by 2015, five years earlier than previously proposed.

ASEAN with a total population of 500 million people groups Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Cambodia.

Source: Xinhua