(VOVworld) - The tenth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 10) opened in Milan, Italy, on Thursday attended by senior officials of 53 member countries and the ASEAN secretariat. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The overall view of 10th ASEAM summit (Photo: Nhat Bac)

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said that the meeting will work out measures to boost political dialogue and economic cooperation in anticipation of its 20th anniversary in 2016.

After the opening ceremony, the first plenary session was convened to discuss economic and financial cooperation through enhanced Asia-Europe connectivity. Attendees said the global economy is recovering but lacks sustainability, synchronism, and coordination. The Asian economy continues to be the driving force of world growth and reforms in Europe.

At the second plenary session on Europe-Asia Partnership in Addressing Global Matters in an Inter-Connected World, participants agreed that global issues are becoming more critical. All challenges are multilateral, affecting all countries on all continents and hampering efforts to fulfill Millennium Development Goals. The Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Malta, the Korean President, and the German Chancellor were invited to deliver speeches at the second meeting.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung attends a plenary session at 10th ASEM summit (Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac)

In his speech, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said that in the 21st century, human beings have faced extreme global challenges - the most serious economic-financial crisis in 100 years, the earthquake-tsunami calamity in Japan, the Haiyan super typhoon in the Philippines, and now the deadly Ebola virus in Africa.

He said these challenges have seriously impacted the world’s politics, socio-economy, and security, and hindered efforts toward peace, stability, and economic recovery.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung suggested urged ASEM to make sustainable development an important focus of collaboration in coping with global challenges.

He said responding to global challenges is central to the efforts to build a dynamic, self-reliant and united ASEAN community and to ASEAN’s cooperation with its partners.

On Friday, the 10th Summit organized a meeting on “Enhancing dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Asia and the future direction of ASEM”.