High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell to chair the 14th Asia-Europe Meeting ministerial in Madrid

On Monday, 16 December, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will chair the 14th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid. This biannual meeting provides the Foreign Ministers of the 51 ASEM countries, the European Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat, an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Europe and Asia at a time of increasing global challenges and societal changes. High Representative Borrell will lead discussions on many of the most pertinent issues of the day, including the situations on the Korean peninsula and in Rakhine State, the Middle East Peace Process, Iran and the Wider Middle East, and efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan. Participants will also address the necessity to uphold multilateralism, address common security challenges, promote gender equality and women empowerment, and to enhance connectivity between Europe and Asia in a sustainable way. In his role of chair, Josep Borrell will deliver a speech at the opening and closing ceremonies, at 09:30 and 15:30 respectively, and will address the press in a press conference at 15:45, all of which will be available on Europe by Satellite (EbS). Ahead of the Ministerial, on Sunday, 15 December, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell will hold several bilateral meetings, including with Wang Yi, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China, will be followed by press statements at 17:25, available on EbS.Other meetings foreseen include Toshimitsu Motegi, Foreign Minister of Japan; Kang Kyung-Wha, Foreign Minister of Korea; Phạm Bình Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam; Don Pramudwinai, Foreign Minister of Thailand; and Prak Sokhonn, Foreign Minister of Cambodia. For more information on the Asia-Europe Meeting, consult the website of the ministerial, the ASEM website, and the dedicated factsheet.