One of our main activities is organising and hosting Luncheon Briefings on pertinent topics of EU-Asia relations. Beginning with an informal lunch, the Briefings usually last for 1.5 hours, including questions.

Attendees include EIAS members and other interested parties.

Experts wishing to discuss a possible topic for a Lucheon Briefing are invited to contact EIAS Direct Dr Willem van der Geest.

10 Years of European Union Election Observation Missions to Asia: Lessons Learned
Thursday, 26 January, 2006 from 13h00 - 14h30

Speaker: Mr Plamen Tonchev Head of Asia Unit, Institute of International Economic Relations (IIER), Athens
Chair: Dr. Willem van der Geest, Director, European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels

You can register for this meeting at the bottom of this page

Over the years, the EU has built up a reputation in the field of election observation as a fair and honest broker promoting transparency and international standards for democratic elections through its presence and reporting in a wide range of countries. European Union Election Observation Missions (EOMs) act as mechanisms through which to confer legitimacy on national political processes, contributing to the promotion of internal stability, the support for human rights, the rule of law and democratisation.

EOMs have been deployed to several Asian countries in recent years including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Pakistan and East Timor. According to the EU, missions of this kind have made a tangible contribution to stability, transparency and confidence in the concerned countries, whilst simultaneously heightening the credibility and visibility of the EU's identity as a "project for democracy, development and peace".

The European Institute for Asian Studies is honoured to welcome Mr. Plamen Tonchev, Head of Asia Unit at the Institute of International Economic Relations in Athens. Mr. Tonchev has conducted extensive research on political and economic developments in Asia focusing much of his work on post-conflict resolution and, in particular, post-election stabilisation and recovery in nations torn by conflict. Additionally, he has served as an election observer and political analyst on a number of OSCE and EU missions, most recently as Deputy Chief Observer on the EU's Election Observation Mission to Afghanistan in 2005.

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