Taking place every two years, alternating between Asia and Europe, the
summits are the most important feature of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
process, providing the main political impetus.
ASEM 1: Held in Bangkok on March 1-2, 1996, it brought together the 15 EU
member states and the European Commission, with 10 Asian countries.
ASEM 2: Held in London on April 3-4, 1998
ASEM 3: Held in Seoul on October 20-21, 2000
ASEM 4: Held in Copenhagen on September 22-24, 2002
ASEM 5: Held in Hanoi on October 7-9, 2004 with the participation of 39
partners, it was a historic landmark in Europe-Asia relations.
The ASEM 5 Summit marked the enlargement of ASEM to include ten new EU member
states as well as three new countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
ASEM 6: Held in Helsinki on September 10-11, 2006, marking the 10th
anniversary of the ASEM process (Pakistan, India, Mongolia, Bulgaria and Romania
invited to join)
