(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Asian and European heads of states will meet in Vientiane, capital of Loas, on Tuesday to hold talks at the ninth Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM) and the 13th Business Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Europe, in the aim of strengthening economic ties between the two regions amid global volatile economy.
According to a statement issued by the executive committee of the forum and the summit on Monday, both events aim to find ongoing solutions to problems that hinder strengthening economic relations between Asia and Europe, stressing that the two continents need to urgently strengthen trade, investment partnerships, and mutual technical understanding.
The statement added that the forum will discuss three main topics during its two-day sessions, begining on Tuesday. The first is aimed at strengthening economic, political and social environment between Europe and Asia. This is hoped to instill confidence among businessmen and start multilateral trade, through building a trading system with resistance to protectionism tendencies.
The second topic focuses on urging governments to support the competitiveness of companies, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises, by disolving obstacles, and facilitating certain legal proceedings and reviewing them with the decision-makers, the statement added.
In addition, the third axis confirms the importance of sustainable economic development between Asia and Europe, especially in business and trade that seek to protect the environment and ensure food security, energy and the side-by-side government plans and strategies.
The summit, under the theme of 'Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity, ' will be attended by nine heads of states, 22 prime ministers, MPs, ministers, heads of the European Commission and the General Secretariat of the ASEAN, in addition to 300 officials representing the business and trade sector in both continents.
The ninth ASEM, which brings together 52 counties in the two continents, was first launched in Bangkok in 1996 to promote economic, political and cultural ties between Europe and Asia.
The summit is held every two years alternately between European and Asian capitals.
