Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit here on Saturday called for more cooperation between Asia and Mideast to achieve a better future for the two regions.
Abul Gheit made the remarks in his address at the second Ministerial Meeting of Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED), expecting this meeting to boost cooperation and development of the two regions.
He noted that the first AMED meeting laid foundation for the full development of relations between the two regions, while the second ministerial AMED meeting was held under the condition of great changes in the international arena and the fast developing steps of globalization.
He expressed the belief that this meeting will further strengthen cooperation between the two regions in political, economic, cultural and scientific fields.
For his part, Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yong-Boon Yeo, noted that AMED has made good progress since the inaugural meeting in Singapore in 2005 and is helping to revive the historical relationship between two ancient regions linked by the overland and maritime silk routes.
With the center of gravity of the world economy returning to Asia in this century, the connections between the Middle East and Asia will multiply in the coming years, not only in economic, but political and cultural as well, Yeo added.
Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Wang Yi, China's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, made keynote speeches at the opening session.
Under the theme "Partnership in Action Towards a Better Future," the two-day second AMED Ministerial Meeting opened in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday. Foreign ministers, representatives and senior officials from 50Asian and Middle east countries attended the meeting to focus on three tracks: political issues; economic issues; as well as social, scientific, and media issues, according to the Dialogue proceedings.
It will address political and economic reforms, governments and civil societies, combating terrorism, expanding trade and investment between the two regions, cooperation between oil producers and consumers, science and technology and IT, human resources development and movement of labor forces, climate change and natural disasters.
At the end of the two-day meeting, participants are expected to sign a declaration of principles on cooperation and friendship, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said. The first AMED dialogue was held in Singapore on June 21-22,2005, under the theme of "Common Interests and Common Challenges."
Source: Xinhua
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