The Asia-Europe Conference on Cultures and Civilizations concluded in Beijing Thursday afternoon.

The two-day culture ministerial conference, the first within the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), passed a chairman's statement before concluding. France has proposed to host the event next time.

Representatives from 26 ASEM members reached broad consensus on the issue of cultural diversity and unity. They observed that cultural diversity is a fundamental feature of world cultures and a form of manifestation of world civilizations. ASEM can and should make a contribution to the promotion of dialogue, understanding and mutual respect among different cultures and civilizations of the world.

They also shared the view that the meeting has enhanced countries' understanding of different cultures and civilizations, broadened their common ground, and laid a sound basis for future cooperation.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Chinese Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng said dialogues between cultures and civilizations of Asia and Europe have created a platform for transcending a model of globalization that seeks to impose uniformity, and for the definition of responses to the diversity of situations and complexity of the international situation.

"The Chinese culture ministry is willing to work with cultural departments of other ASEM members to work for the bright future of the two continents and the world at large," Sun said.

The meeting also passed policy directions for future cooperation, including expanding the work of ASEM in the field of cultural and educational exchanges and welcoming the initiative taken by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to elaborate on a convention on cultural diversity.

Attended by some 200 representatives from 26 ASEM members, the conference was proposed by China at the fourth ASEM summit in Copenhagen in 2002 and was later written into the presidential declaration as a key follow-up action of the meeting.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2003)