Updated 4:04 p.m. Moscow Time
MILAN, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - European Council President Herman Van Rompuy closed the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Milan on Friday by calling on the participants to ensure dialogue, cooperation to secure peace and stability in Europe and Asia.
"Only through dialogue, cooperation and respect for international law we will be able to find solutions, to bring peace and stability," Van Rompuy stressed.
"We agreed on the need to bring peace and stability in Europe," the European Council president added.
"Our future including the survival of many developing states is at stake. We all share responsibilities and we continue to work with our Asian partners," he pointed out.
Both Europe and Asia face global challenges, the European Council president underlined, citing the issues of climate change, Ebola, extremism and terrorism.
At the same time he highlighted the economic difficulties Asia and Europe are currently struggling with.
"Europe is working hard to overcome one of the most serious crises in decade," Van Rompuy said speaking about the economic crisis in the euro zone.
Trade and investment between Asia and Europe have to be facilitated, he added. "Europe needs Asia's growth," the EU leader said. "And Asia needs European markets and investment."
In his statement, Van Rompuy also mentioned the situation in Ukraine stressing the need to implement the Minsk protocol.
Established in 1996, ASEM now unites 50 European and Asian countries, as well as the European Commission and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat. One of the key ideas behind ASEM is to make dialogue more informal and interactive.
Russia joined ASEM at the 8th ASEM Summit of Heads of Government and State in Brussels in October 2010. The summits are held every two years with the 9th summit having taken place in November 2012, in Vientiane, Laos.
