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(December 3,
2005/ Rome, Italy) The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
(CALD) participated in the just concluded International Dialogue
between Asian and European Democrats entitled “A New
Europe/Asia Strategic Partnership: Challenges and
Opportunities”. The three-day event is sponsored by the Italian
La Margherita Party Democrazia E Liberta and the European
Democratic Party.
The
high–level conference brought together Asian and European
political leaders, international experts and journalists.
Representing CALD were Secretary General, Dr. Nereus Acosta, MP,
and Executive Director, Mr. John Joseph S. Coronel. Many of the
Asian participants come from CALD member and observer parties as
follows: former CALD Chair, Mr. Sam Rainsy of Cambodia; Senator
Rodolfo Biazon of the Liberal Party of the Philippines;
parliamentarians Dr. Chareonwongsak Kriengsak and Mr. Sirichoke
Sopha of the Democrat Party of Thailand; parliamentarians Mr.
Naota Kan and Mr. Keisuke Tsumura of the Democratic Party of
Japan; and, Mr. James To Kun-sun, MP, of the Hong Kong
Democratic Party.
Ms. Jayanthi
Natarajan, MP, of the Indian Congress Party also attended. Among
the parliamentarians from Italy were former Prime Ministers
Guiliano Amato and Lamberto Dini, party president and former
Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli, former Defense Minister Sergio
Mattarella, Mr. Gianni Vernetti and Mr. Lappo Pistelli, MEP. The
European Democratic Party was represented by its Co-President
Mr. Francois Bayrou, MP, of France and Mr. Josu Jon Imaz of
Spain.
Also
attending were Mr. Ivan Doherty, Director of Political Party
Program of the Washington DC-based National Democratic
Institute; Mr. Francois Lafond, Vice Director of the Policy
Network (UK); Ms. Margherita Paolini and Mr. Lucio Caracciolo of
“Limes” Review of Geopolitics; Mr. Stefano Silvestri, President
of the Institute of International Affairs (IAI); Ms. Marta
Dassu, Director of Aspen Italia; Mr. Pio D’Emilia,
Vice-President of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Tokyo; and
Mr. Federico Rampini, Beijing Correspondent of La Republica.
The
conference started with a Roundtable Seminar on December 1
focusing on (1) International Security, Economic Integration,
Global Democracy, Energy and Multilateral Cooperation and (2)
Building a Common Political Agenda and a Permanent Network
between Asian and European Democrats at the Le Margherita
Headquarters in
Rome.
A Public Conference “Asia/Europe Strategic Partnership: the
Future is Now” was held on December 2 at the Italian Chamber of
Deputies, Vicolo Valdina, Sal del Cenacolo. An opening lunch
preceded the roundtable seminar and a dinner-reception was held
after the public conference at the historic Villa Borghese. On
December 3, another meeting was held with the participation of
Ellen Tauscher, MP, President of the New Democrats Coalition at
the US Congress. A press conference followed the December 3
meeting. |
