Dialogue is the alpha and the omega: the Asia–Europe Foundation (ASEF)

Abstract

When the Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) was created in 1996, a full vision of time was involved: The past, because if Europe and Asia shared the privilege of having given birth to most of the civilisations, the religions, philosophies and concepts which have survived until the twentieth century, they had also been tragically opposed by a long period of confrontation: colonial exploitation and imperialist aggression had divided the huge Eurasian continent where, since time immemorial, contacts had been an exceptional source of mutual enrichment and fascination. The present, because globalisation does not allow any region or country to live in isolation even from its most distant real or potential partners. Europe needed to organise its relations with Asia beyond the bilateral ties it entertained with Asian nations and even beyond the links it has started establishing as an entity with economic partners whose growth was becoming more and more impressive. The future, because although nobody could then predict what the notion of “emerging powers” would encompass a dozen years later, it was already understood that after the demise of the Soviet Union, Asia’s renaissance would be the next determining event in the world’s history. This probably explains why, despite many difficult tests, from the 1997 economic crisis in Asia to the question of its enlargement and to the sometimes apparent lack of productivity of its official functioning, ASEM has lasted until now, and does not stop attracting new candidates: its eighth Summit is welcoming Australia, New Zealand and Russia this October 2010, and that suffices to show the enduring validity and relevance of this unique informal dialogue structure. Let us be clear: the world also needs more directly efficient bodies to tackle new issues and to integrate a quickly evolving balance of power. G7, G8, G20, the transition is now an Asia Eur J (2010) 8:123–126 DOI 10.1007/s10308-010-0265-8