A two-day gathering of foreign ministers and delegates from 45 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) members has sent a strong signal that ASEM members are committed to joining hands to overcome difficulties.

The 9th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting closed on Tuesday. It is the first official foreign ministerial gathering of 45 ASEM members since its second enlargement.

As expected by all partners, it turned out concrete measures to implement three important documents adopted at last year's Beijing ASEM 7, including the Statement on the International Financial Situation, the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Chair's Statement.

Held in the context of deepening global financial crisis, the foreign ministers' meeting chose its theme to be "Forge a closer Asia-Europe partnership to tackle financial and economic crisis and other global challenges."

Participants at the two-day discussion exchanged views on strengthening cooperation, combating crisis, recent developments in regional and international situations, dialogue among cultures and civilizations and future of ASEM.

They have reached broad consensus with a Chair's Statement passed at the end of the meeting.

According to the statement, ministers rejected protectionism and opposed to measures to introducing or raising barrier to trade and investment.

Ministers believed that the international financial system should be further reformed towards the orientations of open, equitable, inclusive and rule-based.

Ministers unanimously held that countries should further implement the statement passed at the Beijing ASEM 7 on the international financial situation and the consensus reached at the London G20 Summit.

Ministers pinned the hope for worldwide economic recovery in 2010. According to the statement, they believed that the world economic might start recovering next year with concerted efforts through close cooperation and coordination.