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Lithuania actively exploits instruments for cooperation with societies of Asian countries of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and would like to expand their arsenal, Political Director of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eitvydas Bajarūnas said at the Board of Governors Meeting on 13 May in Vilnius. According to E.Bajarūnas, Lithuania supports ASEF activities, because it is very useful to the people of Lithuania, especially to young people. The value of intercultural experience, tolerance and ability to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity keeps increasing in a global world.

The cooperation between Lithuania and ASEF is becoming ever more active: lecturers financed by ASEF have visited the country’s institutions of higher education already twice, while members of Lithuanian academic and non-governmental organizations eagerly participate in the events, which are organized by the foundation and where useful contacts are established for follow-up activities.

ASEF artists’ exchange programmes can be very interesting for young artists from Lithuania, not only because of creative experiences, but also due to Asian art market growth.

The Political Director of the MFA noted that Lithuanian non-governmental organizations were already working not only in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asian countries, but also in Afghanistan. Therefore, they would like to develop joint activities also with non-governmental organizations in other Asian countries.

Representatives from European and Asian countries were informed about the events that are organized by Lithuania’s Presidency of the Community of Democracies in Vilnius in early July, and foreign ministers were once again invited to participate in the events.

ASEF is a non-profit organization and the only formal institution of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), established in Singapore in 1997 to promote greater mutual understanding between Asia and Europe through intellectual, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Lithuania became a member of ASEM and ASEF in 2004.

At the initiative of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 26th Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Board of Governors Meeting took place in Vilnius on 12-13 May. The meeting reviewed the strategy of the foundation, directions of its activities, and approved new projects of the foundation in various countries.

Already this year in Vilnius, Mykolas Romeris University in partnership with the ASEF University Alumni Network will organize an advisory committee meeting that will be attended by many representatives from European and Asian universities.

Members of the ASEF Board of Governors from 48 European and Asian countries also had the opportunity to interact with the Lithuanian academic community. The Asia-Europe Dialogue: “Demographic Changes in Asia and Europe: Challenges for the Youth” was held at Mykolas Romeris University, during which ASEF and Lithuanian teachers and students discussed the challenges that arise to Asian and European youth related to rapidly aging population, soaring health care and pension costs and needs of solidarity between generations. The participants analyzed the cases of individual countries, such as Singapore and Lithuania, and opportunities to share experience in addressing similar problems.

This was the first ASEF Board of Governors Meeting in the Baltic States.