ASEM members prepare for Poznan

Indonesia has proposed that members of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) step up conservation efforts to prevent historical sites from being destroyed.

The proposal was raised during the 2nd Preparatory Senior Official Meeting, which concluded its three day event on Friday at Hotel Sunan in Surakarta.

The meeting, attended by 60 delegates from 20 countries, was held in preparation for the 4th ASEM Culture Minister Meeting in Poznan, Poland, in September.

Director General of American-European Regions at the Foreign Ministry, Retno L.P. Marsudi, said on Friday that the meeting was of great importance because the outcome would be developed as part of Indonesia’s foreign policy.

“We usually engage in soft diplomacy, such as cultural dialogue,” she said, adding that the declaration draft formulated in the meeting would be presented at Poznan.