Staff Reporter :
The Executive Committee Meeting of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) concluded in Singapore on 22 November with a reinforced commitment to enhancing collaboration between Asia and Europe.
The meeting, chaired by Md. Rais Hasan Sarower, Director-General of Regional Organizations at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the current chair of the ASEF Board of Governors, focused on key administrative, financial, and strategic matters, Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Based in Singapore, ASEF provides opportunities for Asians and Europeans to exchange ideas and collaborate, achieve innovative and substantive solutions for common global challenges.
Among the highlights of the meeting were discussions on boosting ASEF’s visibility, exploring new funding mechanisms, and ensuring the
protection of data privacy.
n addition to discussions on a wide range of administrative and financial matters, the executive body also provided directives to enhance the visibility of the organization and recommended exploring new funding mechanisms and ensuring data privacy and strategic upgrades to make ASEF more meaningful for member states.
The meeting also approved a project proposal for women, peace and security training proposed by Government of Latvia.
To complement the ASEM process, in February 1997, the 1st ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting welcomed the establishment of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).
Bangladesh has been the Chair of the ASEF Board of Governors for the first time since January 2024 and the term will end in December 2024.
