Phnom Penh, March 1 (IANS): Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said on Wednesday that the biennial Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has contributed to promoting peace, security, connectivity, development and multilateralism in both continents.

In a message to mark the ASEM Day, Sokhonn said over the past 27 years, the initiative has grown into a significant forum with its mission of maintaining peace and security as well as promoting connectivity and development for the two continents, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It has also served as a high-profile forum for advancing dialogues to enhance multilateralism, in the spirit of consensus, mutual interest and respect, to address inter-regional issues and global challenges," he said.

Sokhonn urged ASEM to provide its decades-long leadership to mobilise joint actions to deepen its cooperation to pursue more sustainable solutions so that the two continents could maintain their course to secure a more resilient future for the next generations to come.

"Cambodia attaches great importance to ASEM as the relevant multilateral platform of dialogue and reaffirms her readiness and proactive engagement to work and collaborate with all its members and stakeholders to achieve the noble goals of peace and prosperity as set out by our ASEM leaders, and to bring back a renewed vitality into the ASEM process," he said.

ASEM comprises 53 partners -- 21 Asian countries, 30 European countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the European Union.

ASEM was founded in 1996 and Cambodia became its member in 2004.