ASEM

Korean leader Roh Moo-hyun starts flood of VIP visitors

Prestigious line-up of guests participating in ASEM 6 Summit

print this

President Roh Moo-hyun of the Republic of Korea was the first head-of-state level visitor arriving in Finland in order to participate in the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be held in Helsinki on Sunday and Monday. Prior to the ASEM, Roh is paying a two-day state visit to Finland. On Thursday he met with President Tarja Halonen, and the two leaders discussed issues of mutual interest including economic, scientific, and technical cooperation.
      While the nuclear project of North Korea - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - has caused a great deal of concern worldwide, President Roh commented that the missiles and the tests were apparently made mainly for political reasons. However, insinuations regarding potential attacks are bound to increase tension, he added.
      Furthermore, the president pointed to the lack of mutual understanding about history among the countries of N.E Asia. By this he obviously hinted at Japan, which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945. The two countries have since had a long-standing disagreement over the sovereignty of two uninhabited islands situated between them.
     
The prestigious line-up of guests participating in the ASEM Summit includes the prime ministers of China, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand, as well as the presidents of South Korea, Indonesia and The Philippines, and leaders of six other Asian countries. Myanmar, the former Burma, is sending its Foreign Minister. The country's human rights situation is likely to provoke debate both around the conference table and outside the hall.
      All EU countries will be represented by a head of state or a head of government with the exception of Great Britain, Sweden, and Hungary, reported Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) at a press conference on Thursday.
     
At the ASEM 6 Summit, chaired by the Prime Minister of Finland
, the leaders of 38 Asian and European countries and the representatives of the European Commission will meet to discuss various issues including the future prospects for ASEM cooperation, as well as global warming and climate change. The ASEM is seeking a resolution on both issues.
      Prime Minister Vanhanen noted that it would be very encouraging if a new unanimous resolution on climate change to proceed from the Kyoto Protocol could be passed by this summit.
     
Vanhanen did not wish to predict on Thursday which Asian countries would possibly be proposed as new members.
      While some non-governmental organizations have suspected that the issue of human rights would take only a minor role at the ASEM, Vanhanen gave an assurance that at least discussions on the situation in Myanmar are "self-evident".
     
In advance of the ASEM, the EU Ministers of Finance are gathering at the Helsinki Fair Centre on September 8th to 9th for an informal meeting of the Ecofin Council. The meeting is being hosted by the Finnish Minister of Finance Eero Heinäluoma. In addition to the finance ministers, the participants include also the President of the European Central Bank, the Governors of national central banks, and representatives of the European Commission. The meeting will discuss a range of global issues including the economic and financial aspects of current energy policy.
      The large number of representatives of the international media who have registered to participate in this weekend's meetings will be hosted at a reception at the premises of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) on Friday night, arranged by by the City of Helsinki, YLE, and Forum Virium Helsinki. Caption: President Roh Moo-hyun and Ms. Kwon Yang-Suk arived in Finland already on Thursday. Caption: (use the pic in my Notes to Readers) The Helsinki Fair Centre is the setting for the ASEM summit. Collected articles on ASEM in Helsinki, September 2006 http://www.hs.fi/english/ASEM Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the State dinner held in honour of the President of the Republic of Korea Roh Moo-hyun at the Presidential Palace on 7 September 2006 http://www.presidentti.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=54693&intSubArtID=22729 Ministry of Finance press release: Mr Heinäluoma to host an informal Ecofin meeting in Helsinki http://www.vm.fi/vm/en/03_press_releases_and_speeches/01_press_releases/20060904MrHein/name.jsp * *


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Collected articles on ASEM in Helsinki, September 2006

Links:
  Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the State dinner held in honour of the President of the Republic of Korea Roh Moo-hyun at the Presidential Palace on 7 September 2006
  Ministry of Finance press release: Mr Heinäluoma to host an informal Ecofin meeting in Helsinki

Helsingin Sanomat