Pakistan pledges commitment to ASEM goals

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan after getting formal admission to the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) said on Tuesday it was ready and committed to play a useful role in furthering the ASEM process.
"Pakistan's admission to ASEM is an acknowledgement of the important role Pakistan is playing in the international arena", a Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a statement issued here.
The spokesperson further stated that "it (Pakistan's admission to ASEM) is also a manifest recognition by the international community of Pakistan's vital geo-strategic position and its ability to contribute towards ASEM process."
Pakistan has been formally admitted member of the Asia Europe Meeting. The announcement was made at Helsinki on Monday following the sixth ASEM Summit.
The membership of Pakistan from the Asian side was endorsed by ASEAN and China, Japan and Republic of Korea.
"The Government of Pakistan is grateful to the support extended by all ASEM members", the statement said.
The Asia-Europe Meeting is an informal process of dialogue and cooperation initiated in 1996.
Twenty five EU Member States, the European Commission and thirteen Asian countries (Brunei, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) participate in the process.
Dialogue under the rubric of ASEM addresses political, economic and cultural issues in order to strengthen the relationship between the two regions.—Agencies