PREVIEW - Two-Day Asia-Europe Meeting To Begin On Thursday With Focus On Trade, Security Challenges

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2018) Leaders of European and Asian countries will gather Thursday for the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to discuss trade, investment as well as climate and security challenges.

The format, established in 1996, aims to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. It comprises 53 partners, including 30 European and 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

General public in Asia, Europe and Russia barely know about ASEM summits, and therefore, the event usually does not excite crowds. The topic of the current summit however sounds rather ambitious: "Europe and Asia: Global Partners for Global Challenges."

The list of the potential attendees makes Brussels the capital of Europe more than ever. Among the participants there are senior EU officials, ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, as well as many other European and Asian heads of state and government.

Moreover, the meeting takes place when both Europe and Asia have been facing Washington's increasingly protectionist policies pursued by President Donald Trump administration.

This year, the summit coincides with the European Council's meeting, which is taking place on October 17-18.

So, the Europeans will first deal with their pressing issues of the day, such as Brexit, migration, the rise of populism looming in the run-up to 2019 European Parliament elections, as well as security and defense issues amid the alleged hybrid threats from Russia.

Completely different conversations will be in the building next door, where the 12th ASEM summit will be held.

Shada Islam, the director of Europe and Geopolitics at the Brussels-based Friends of Europe think tank, warned against underestimating the event, describing it as an important "geopolitical story."

"EU-watchers should not only pay attention to the European summit in Brussels. There is something else, incredibly important, unfolding next door! It is a compelling geopolitical story that is going to be played out at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels," she told Sputnik.

According to Islam, ASEM "has a new spring in its step" amid the United States' global "America first approach," increasing role of China and the EU search for its role in the changing world.

"ASEM used to be perceived as boring and heads of state were skipping these big pow-wow summits. No longer! ASEM has a new spring in its step and it is partly thanks to America, rising China and also the new spotlight on Europe as a possible guardian and guarantor of international law and cooperation," she suggested.

The summit could be a sort of response to the US policies, islam said.

"US President Donald Trump's 'America First' policies have unnerved leaders in both Europe and Asia. His tariffs imposed on Chinese and European goods have made the reaction even stronger ... It has brought the two continents together like never before. The two regions are seeking a new strategic remix and reordering of international relations," she pointed out.

The expert expressed an opinion that "Europeans are seeking to wean themselves off their over-dependence on the United States," while Asia appeared to be ready to patch up relations and sidestep differences.

"A post-US era is in the making. It is a very exciting deep-going modification of the world order," she said.

While the US security umbrella in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region is still seen as important by the two regions, the US economic policies threaten to make the United States more isolationist. Both Europe and Asia are impacted by US decisions to favor the home front and repatriate industries. It brings Europe and Asia together.

It all comes as a global economic power is shifting to the East, toward rising China and other emerging Asian economies.

Climate change, population growth, migration are challenges that should be tackled, and there is hope that ASEM will manage to make its contribution. The challenges for ASEM to address also include a World Trade Organization (WTO) reform, issues of the Paris climate deal implementation and efforts to preserve the Iran nuclear deal after the US withdrawal.

The delegates are there to "strengthen dialogue and cooperation" between the two continents via discussing trade and investment, sustainable development and climate, security challenges such as terrorism, non-proliferation, cybersecurity, and irregular migration. A lot of work for a two-day summit, but the contacts taken may become the seeds of important developments in the future.