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Asia-Europe meeting on labour issues kicks off in Bulgaria

Xinhua, December 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Fifth Asia-Europe Meeting's (ASEM) Labour and Employment Minister's Conference kicked off here on Thursday bringing together representatives of 50 countries from the two continents.

Their two-day discussions are focused on the topic of "Towards Sustainable Social Development in Asia and Europe: A joint Vision for Decent Work and Social Protection."

"I welcome the choice of sustainability as our conference's central theme - a theme that has been most relevant this year with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and an ambitious agreement at the climate summit next week in Paris," European Union (EU) Commissioner for Employment Marianne Thyssen said at the opening ceremony.

Thyssen said she is confident that the dialogue between the two continents will remain, as it has been, an important and forward-leaning process of exchange and tangible cooperation corresponding to the roles and aspirations of Europe and Asia in shaping the future in the two regions and globally.

Despite country-specific differences, a clear consensus emerged on how to meet common challenges, a consensus that covers a job-rich recovery, quality jobs, decent work and social protection for all, and in particular the most vulnerable, Thyssen said.

"I think it is not too much to say that our cooperation brought us even closer together amidst the global financial and economic crisis," she said.

In turn, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said the dialogue between European and Asian states is extraordinary and very important for his country.

"Several days ago, I returned from a visit to China, where in "16 +1" format we had the opportunity to discuss many issues in the fields of economy, infrastructure and transport," Borissov said.

Bulgaria is among the active supporters of the idea of maximum openness of the EU to Asian partners, he said. "We maintain a good partnership and dialogue with each of them," he said.

Topics related to youth employment, globalization, working conditions, social protection are priorities of the Bulgarian government, Borissov said. In many of them, his country could share experiences with Asian counterparts, he added.

ASEM is a process of dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe initiated in 1996, and currently brings together 51 partnering countries and two organizations.

Within the framework of ASEM, a fruitful and intensive dialogue on employment and social policies has been taking place during the last decade. Since 2006, four ASEM Labour and Employment Ministers Conferences have been held. Endit