18 Years of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM): A Briefer

Thursday, 29 January 2015

At the heart of discussions regarding the possibilities of regional and global governance is the existing belief that there is a possibility for countries to find common points of intersection. The hope that countries can pursue social, economic and political development along the same lines as each other despite being separated by national, linguistic and cultural boundaries, it may be said, is what drives many states to establish cordial international relations amongst themselves. It is in this optimistic context, perhaps, that the establishment of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has been envisioned and is continuously pursued, despite existing challenges and concerns to its fruition over the past two decades.