ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)'s first decade of interregional dialogue by taking a European perspective. ASEM's cultural pillar is arguably the most successful dimension of interaction, which also illustrates a shift in focus in the entire process from the economic to the social-cultural sphere. ASEM is also a forum which allows the European Union (EU) to promote values that it deems important, including human rights. ASEM's performance is rooted in its philosophy, working methods and institutional infrastructure. ASEM's dual approach of informal consensus-building while also seeking to enhance substantive cooperation generates tensions between those emphasizing dialogues versus those with high expectations toward more concrete results. Even though the Helsinki Summit has enhanced ASEM's "human face" and narrowed the forum's "demographic deficit", visibility and public awareness remain a challenge in need of tackling.
