Asia-Europe meeting of editors in connection with the Asem summit

Press release 345/2006
6 September, 2006

In connection with the Asem6 summit, an Editors' Roundtable seminar bringing together editors from Europe and Asia will take place on Saturday, 9 September in Hanasaari. This seminar will be organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) based in Singapore. Some 30 high-level representatives of significant Asian and European media have been invited to the seminar, which is the third meeting of its kind in the history of Asem co-operation.

During the seminar, two themes that also are debated in the Asem summit will be discussed. The theme of the morning will be inter-cultural dialogue and the question of the social responsibility of journalism. The panel will be chaired by the Editor of Suomen Kuvalehti, Mr Tapani Ruokanen. The theme of the afternoon session will be promoting partnership between Asia and Europe in order to safeguard sustainable development and a correct management of resources. The chairman of this panel will be Editor of Singapore Press Holdings, Mr Patrick Daniel.

Before the sessions, the seminar participants will meet Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and President of the European Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroson. The lunch-time speaker of this one-day meeting based on invitation will be Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.

The Editors' Roundtable will submit the conclusions of the seminar to the Asem summit through the Finnish Presidency of the European Union.

For more information please contact: Director General Petri Tuomi-Nikula tel. +358 (0)9 1605 5800, or Counsellor Juha Markkanen, tel. +358 (0)40 520 3925, Department for Communication and Culture, Ministry for Foreign Affairs