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KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Culture Ministers from Asian and European countries reiterated here on Wednesday that both Asia and Europe should take concrete action to further promote their cultural interactions.

Their commitment in the field of culture had been identified in the Action Plan of Culture Ministers in the Second ASEM Conference on Culture and Civilizations (ASEM COCC) held in Paris, France, in June 2005 to step up cultural exchanges and cooperation between Asia and Europe, according to a statement.

ASEM culture ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the plan through concrete action, according to the Chairman's Statement released after the Third ASEM Culture Ministers' Meeting (ASEM CMM) closed here.

The networking among professionals in the cultural and audiovisual fields should be further enhanced, exchanges of performances, exhibitions, literary works and audiovisual programs between European and Asian countries should be promoted, the statement said.

The development of co-productions and cooperation between theaters, art centers, museums, publishers and audiovisual operators also should be facilitated, and initiatives aimed at promoting understanding of the diverse cultures should be encouraged, it said.

Meanwhile, special attention should be paid to cultural tourism and the promotion of culture as a development factor, the statement said, noting that culture is an important development factor in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Cultural Ministers' Meeting formerly was known as ASEM COCC which was renamed ASEM CMM after its second meeting held in Paris in June 2005.

The first ASEM COCC was held in Beijing, China, in December 2003.

Ministers or representatives from 37 Asian and European countries, including nine of ASEAN's member nations, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Britain, attended the ASEM CMM that opened here on Tuesday with the theme of "Cultural Diversity: Realizing The Action Plan".

Representatives from the European Commission and Asia-Europe Foundation were also present at the platform for culture cooperation between Asia and Europe.


Editor: Yan Liang