Dialogue among Asian and European cultures would help narrow their differences while building trust and mutual understanding, a Vietnamese leader said at the seventh Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 7) in Beijing Saturday.

He said Vietnam aimed to preserve local culture and national identity while implementing a foreign policy of diverse cooperation alongside active global integration.

PM Dung also suggested more focus be placed on cultural dialogue between Asian and European countries in the future.

Vietnamese representatives at the meeting proposed that Europe and Asia engage in more exchanges on culture, climate change, disease and cooking security.

The initiatives were met by support from other representatives.

The two-day ASEM 7 closed Saturday, with the signing of four major documents including the Declaration of the President, the Declaration on the International Financial Situation, the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development and the revised Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework.

ASEM 8 will be held in Belgium in 2010.

Source: VNA