Press release

Foreign & Commonweath Office Minister meets next generation of leaders at Asia-Europe Foundation summit

FCO Minister Mark Field held a roundtable session with students and young professionals taking part in the ASEF Young Leaders’ Summit in Brussels.

Minister Mark Field with students and young professionals at ASEF Young Leaders’ Summit.

During a 2-day visit to Brussels, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field has today (18 October) met youth participants from the UK and the 10 ASEAN countries to explore the deep relationship between the UK and South East Asia.

Their session covered a wide range of topics including the youth summit’s theme ‘Ethical Leadership’, EU Exit and the UK’s relationship with Asia in areas of close cooperation such as education.

The Minister took part in the event as part of his participation at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit with the Prime Minister, where across 2 days he will meet with leaders and ministers from across Asia, including from China, Thailand, the Republic of Korea and Singapore.

Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field said:

These young people will be the leaders of tomorrow, so it’s encouraging that events like the Young Leaders’ Summit are held right alongside the ASEM Summit where so many leaders are meeting today.

It is incredibly heartening to see the younger generation coming together from across these two great continents, to think not only about how to become leaders themselves, but how to become responsible the leaders we will need to face the challenges of the future.

The ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS3) is taking place for the third year, in conjunction with the 12th ASEM Summit. Its focus was on ethical leadership, with participants analysing the concept of what it means to be a responsible leader.

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Published 18 October 2018