It’s hard to imagine the idleness of some well off meddlers, which motivates them to venture their noses into the back yards of neighbours, with the view that this intrusion will benefit the vast majority of the population who cling to the vagaries of everyday life and it’s desperate need for survival in their own back yards!

But then...what else can be done with the over educated and obviously bored morons with a pathological need to fuel their own ego trip at somebody else’s expense: And should I state the obvious when identifying those “somebody else’s“ as overburdened tax payers waiting for six hours in the emergency ward of a hospital through lack of staffing ?

Dan

"Australia and New Zealand are active members of this forum.”

And what are we calling ourselves in this Asia Europe meeting: Asian or European? Geographically we are not European or Asian. Philosophically, we don’t seem to know who we are any more, thanks to multiculturalism and our suck-up-to-anyone politicians.

Given the sorts of politicians we have, I would have thought that “ strengthening the institutions of global governance” would be the very last thing we should be doing.

Who has heard of this ASEM before? How many more global ‘experts’ do we need whittling away at our sovereignty? The villainous United Nations should be done away with before we see if we actually need any more globalisation.

A spectacular article - thank you Dr Ioan Voicu!

It is not clear what ASEM may have achieved since its inception in 1996, or its ASEF progeny established in 1997, but surely the need for the meritorious aspirations and objectives of these two supremely altruistic organisations could not be clearer in this pandemic- and diasporic- ravaged world.

Perhaps the pressing need for collective action to defeat the current global Covid-19 pandemic may provide the impetus necessary to crystallize the objectives of these two 'visionary' collective-organizations into a positive constructive movement leading to the kind of global multilateral cooperation originally envisaged for the United Nations - and act positively for much-needed invigoration and re-structuring of the UN itself.

Global Pandemic; fight against human slavery; resolution of economic disparities and deprivation; resolution of mass refugee and displacement 'diaspora'; movement from conflict preparedness to the achievement of peaceful resolution and global multilateral cooperation and development.

Many aspirations, many obstacles, many vested-interests to be resolved.

Objective:
"In all circumstances, a true inter-regional partnership requires innovative diplomatic efforts to develop balanced relations based on reciprocity."

Global cooperation does not undermine national interest, but rather enhances national as well as global prospects, and offers an essential avenue for long-term peaceful relations between all nations.

So, where are the OLO luminaries and intellectual giants in this discussion?

Dan grates at a 6-hour wait in Emergency - dismissive of the great good-fortune of a free world-class public health system, which is much the envy of billions around the world.

ttbn can only mock and deride, preferring a 'sovereign' head-in-the-sand 'I'm alright Jack' philosophy.

How to choose? Asia and Europe, ASEM/ASEF, 53 nations (and growing?), offering very real prospects of multilateral cooperation?
Or, guidance from the 'panicked' and disheveled self-appointed 'Leader of the Free World', A-Merica?

More than one basket. Change can be good. Give peace a chance?

If it helps? Then persist! Can't see any good reason why not! Defies logic and reason not to, when and if it assists!? And a complete waste of time and mucho plenty money if it doesn't!
Alan B.

An excellent article by Dr. Ioan Voicu, it underscores the importance of multilateralism in tackling the destructive pandemic, and beyond. As the European Union and ASEAN to join forces to cooperate and resolve international challenges such as our current pandemic, they, indeed, should attempt to revitalize ASEM – the Asia-Europe Meeting, initially, a joint effort by France, Germany and Singapore to engage in cross-border cooperation, currently, a 53-member partnership that has just reaffirmed a commitment mobilize in solidarity in the fight against COVID-19. Asia-Europe cooperation is an imperative in the current fractured approach of addressing the pandemic and its consequences, and ASEM is the right medium for furthering international cooperation to ensure global access to medical resources for addressing the pandemic, in line with the UN General Assembly resolutions.