REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, VIEANTIANE - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stated that ASEAN member countries and the organization`s European partners must be ready to face future challenges and should remain adaptable in order to resolve regional problems.

"There are four important sectors that need to be reviewed, namely economy, justice, international peace and security, and environmental sustainability," he said during a plenary session at the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Vientiane, Laos, on Tuesday afternoon. 

"In the field of economics, I believe global prosperity can only be achieved when economic growth is experienced by all parties. In the long term, the global economy should grow strongly, inclusively and sustainably," the President noted. 

The head of state said national, regional and global measures must be taken simultaneously, with mutual support, during times of crisis. "Each country should maintain its economic growth, continue to promote trade and investment, help in maintaining global financial stability, minimise layoffs, and maintain price stability," he stated.

He pointed out that economic growth was as important as poverty eradication and other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "In my view, the post-2015 MDG agenda must include at least two things: environmental protection and poverty eradication," the President said.

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