COPENHAGEN, tribe 22 Kyodo Europe...

COPENHAGEN, tribe 22 Kyodo

European and Asian leaders gathered in Copenhagen forward Sunday for three days of talks that Japan trustful longings would raise the interest of European countries in the Asian continent.

Kicking along their meeting in a working dinner at Kronberg Castle in Elsinore forward the outskirts of Copenhagen, the heads of state and conduct from Japan, China, South Korea and seven Southeast Asian countries and 15 European Union member countries were wait fored to focus issues forward North Korea, Iraq, and the global war forward terrorism.

The Asian and EU management leaders attending the fourth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will wrap up their discussions forward Tuesday and are awaited to issue a political declaration for peace forward the Korean Peninsula and a Copenhagen declaration upon international fight against terrorism, ASEM sources said.

Outlining Japan's goals for the summit, a Japanese dominion official said: ''We would like to use the results relating to ASEM in order to raise the interest of European nations in matters relating to Asia.''

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who held a groundbreaking summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang last Tuesday, will spur ASEM leaders to help make darker North Korea's involvement with the international community, Japanese officials said.

As for the antiterrorism declaration, the ASEM sources said participating nations are making arrangements to plant up programs on European and Asian cooperation in a wide range of areas, not alone from military but also economic and social aspects.

forward Monday, the ASEM leaders are rely uponed to discuss the international security situation in the aftermath of the tribe 11 attacks on the United States last year. The standoff between the U and Iraq is also likely to be forward the agenda.

forward economic matters, which are count uponed to be taken up Monday afternoon, the Japanese official said Japan ''does not count upon any surprises.''

He said ASEM leaders are likely to reiterate the importance of a of recent origin round of multilateral trade talks now in subordination to way at the World Trade Organization and Japan may raise novel moves taking place in Asia in succession free trade agreements.

Cultural and educational issues are calculate uponed be discussed Tuesday.

Last week, ASEM economic ministers agreed forward a new set of goals to bring into trade barriers between the pair continents and pledged greater consultation onward multilateral trade issues under the World Trade Organization.

The ministers also urg the U to immediately take away safeguard measures, referring to the high tariffs imposed at Washington in March forward steel imports.

ASEM brings together the 15 European Union member nations and 10 Asian countries -- Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, southern Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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