Special Report / ASEM 2006 ASEM in its tenth year: looking back, looking forward The ASEM Summit in Helsinki 2006 is expected to provide Korea with a good opportunity to construct a relationship of comprehensive collaboration with Finland, a leading country in the 21st century knowledge economy society. Finland also shares major national administration issues such as balanced regional development and a growing concern about its falling birthrate as well as an aging society. In particular, the Korea World Class Product Exhibition is expected to attract each Heads' interest from the EU and Asia, displaying that it is the prime mover of Premium Korea national image brands. In this Korea World-Class Product Exhibition, first-rate Korean products are expected to illustrate an image of Korea as an advanced industry technology country. The exhibition will include products from the Korean game industry as well as domestic mobile component companies. Supporting a multilateral approach The priorities of the Helsinki Summit are as follows: * Support for the multilateral international system * Addressing security threats including global health threats such as the avian flu * Questions related to energy security and climate change * Commitment to resume as soon as possible the WTO Doha Development talks suspended in July 2006 * Questions relating to globalization, competitiveness and structural changes in the global economy * Inter cultural dialogue The ASEM Summit will be held on the 10th and 11th of September 2006 in Finland, which is the current holder of the EU Presidency. The summit will mark the tenth anniversary of the cooperation process between the participating summit attendees; the Member States of the European Union, the European Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Chaired by the Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen, the ASEM 6 Summit will be the largest ever meeting of Heads of State or Government hosted by Finland, bringing together some two thousand participants, according to the ASEM 6 Secretariat at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The summit is expected to focus on ways to respond to the challenges of globalization. The issues on the agenda include global security threats, energy security, climate change, WTO negotiations, ways to strengthen cultural dialogue, competitiveness and the structural changes in global economy. Twin regions, one family Since 1996, ASEM has become established as the prime forum for contact and convergence between Asia and Europe. Today the ASEM partners.the twentyfive European Union member states, the European Commission, the ten ASEAN member states, and three Northeast-Asian nations.account for 40% of the world's population and 50% of global GDP. The maturity of the forum makes ASEM a unique opportunity for leaders from Asia and Europe to meet in an informal setting and engage in a frank exchange of views, even on sensitive topics. A spokesperson at the ASEM 6 Secretariat at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs comments: "The Summit is committed to supporting a fair, just and rule-based international system with the United Nations at its centre; it will address a broad security agenda including prevention of terrorism, organized crime and global health threats. The Summit also is expected to discuss the state-of-play with regard to the WTO talks and will seek to complement and reinforce efforts to bring the negotiations on the WTO Doha Development Agenda to a successful conclusion.