UK Government Ministers attend EU Asia Summit
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne are in Brussels today for the start of the two-day EU Asia summit (ASEM).
The main focus of talks will be the global economy. There will also be discussions on Burma, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan/Pakistan and the Middle East.
The ASEM Summit gathers the Head of States and Governments of the European countries and the European Commission, with their counterparts from Asian countries. The Summit is held every other year, in Asia and Europe alternatively. The dialogue addresses issues concerning the three main pillars of ASEM and serves as the highest level of decision making in the ASEM process. 13 G20 countries and four Security Council members are mongst the 46 participants who account for 50% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and over 60% of world trade.