ASIA-EUROPE MEETING AS AN INTERREGIONAL INTERACTION PATTERN IN THE EUROPEAN UNION’S RELATIONS WITH ASIA

Abstract

As a regional organization, the European Union (EU) interacts with actors of international relations in various ways in conducting its foreign relations, including interregional interactions. The EU establishes interregional relations with regional organizations, states, and groups of states and participates in interregional interaction mechanisms. The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is among the interaction channels of the EU in its relations with Asia. ASEM, held in 1996 first, is an initiative to develop political, economic, social, and cultural relations between Asia and Europe and create awareness between the peoples of the two regions. In this framework, considering the concept of interregionalism, this study deals with the basic rationality and functioning of ASEM, an interregional interaction pattern in the EU’s relations with Asia, and makes statements on the dialogue process.