Board of Governors of the Asia-Europe Foundation at City Hall
On 24-27 June, our city hosted a meeting of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Board of Governors. On Wednesday, 25 June, Maria Klaman, Deputy Mayor of Kraków, welcomed distinguished guests – representatives of the 25 member countries of the foundation. The meeting was attended by Anna Radwan-Röhrenschef, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is organising the meeting, and Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska, currently serving as ASEF Executive Director.
The Asia-Europe Foundation is an intergovernmental non-profit organisation based in Singapore, established in 1997. It brings together 51 partner countries and two organisations – the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Poland has been a member of ASEF since 2004. The Foundation's goal is to promote and strengthen contacts between the communities of Asia and Europe in seven key areas: culture, economy, education, governance, media, sustainable development and public health, through the implementation of projects within four programmes: intellectual exchange, people-to-people contacts, cultural exchange and public affairs.
The Board of Governors is the governing body of ASEF. It is composed of representatives nominated by member states. The Board meets twice a year, once a year at away meetings (alternating between Asia and Europe). The current meeting, held in Krakow at the International Cultural Centre, includes the work of the Finance and Audit Committee, the Executive Committee and the governors' deliberations. The programme also includes the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival at the Manggha Museum.
The selection of the capital of Małopolska as the venue for the governing body meeting of this important organisation will not only contribute to the promotion of our city in Asian countries, but also to launch the relations and networks with Kraków institutions.
