Partners From the Asia-Pacific Region Visiting Germany for 12 Days

BERLIN - The 7th Asia-Pacific Weeks will be held in Berlin October 7-18 under the heading “Asia-Pacific: Partner for a Common Future.” This series of events, initiated by Berlin’s governing mayor in 1997, transforms Berlin into the “gateway to Asia” in the fall every other year. With more than 150 business-, science-, and culture-related events, the German capital presents an estimated 250,000 visitors with a discussion forum unique throughout Europe.

Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit unveiled the program of the Asia-Pacific Weeks at a press conference in which he stressed the relevance of exchanges between Germany and Asia. “Especially in view of global challenges such as the scarcity of resources and the global increase in urbanization, honest exchanges of experiences and know-how between Europe and Asia are the basic prerequisite for any attempt to work together hand-in-hand as partners for a common future,” he said. Rolf Eckrodt, the president of the Asia- Pacific Forum Berlin, added, “The key themes of the Asia-Pacific Weeks Berlin 2009 - mobility and energy - show that we will once again be focusing on global questions about the future. The specialist conferences on global mobility and energy for the future will, among other things, discuss national and international challenges of environmentally-friendly transportation of people and goods as well as opportunities for sustainable and responsible energy generation and utilization.”

The business and scientific program will feature encounters between high-ranking experts such as Prof. Shi Dinghuan, chairman of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association; Shang-Wei Wang, chief secretary of the Taipei transport ministry; and Woochong Um, a director at the Asian Development Bank.

The cultural program features international artists like Tadashi Kawamata, Qiu Zhijie, and Talvin Singh. Exhibitions such as Kawamata’s ‘Berlin Tree Houses,’ the Infashion fahion event, the performing-arts festival ‘Tokyo-Shibuya. The Next Generation,’ and the Hybrid Arts Festival Australia will open Berlin’s gateway to Asia from a cultural point of view. The cultural program will be held at twelve renowned cultural establishments in Berlin and will be coordinated by the House of World Cultures.

Press spokeswoman: Laura Vetter Tel: +49(0)30-28876-133 Fax: +49(0)30-28876-111 E-mail: laura.vetter@wbpr.de

Source: Berlin Partner GmbH

Press spokeswoman: Laura Vetter, Tel: +49(0)30-28876-133, Fax: +49(0)30-28876-111, E-mail: laura.vetter at wbpr.de