国际英语新闻：EU envoy: Economic issue to dominate upcoming Asia-Europe meeting

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Economic issues will remain one of the hottest topics at the Asia-Europe meeting next week even though the worst of the global financial crisis has passed, a European Union (EU) envoy said Thursday.

"The danger is over," Serge Abou, EU Ambassador to China, said in an interview ahead of the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM8) to be held in Brussels Oct. 4 to 5.

Compared to the situation in 2008, when ASEM7 was held in Beijing, the world economy has changed, noted the envoy.

He said the past two years have been a "very, very difficult time" for the world economy.

Earlier this month, the European Commission raised its forecast for eurozone economic growth this year to 1.7 percent, up from its 0.9 percent forecast in May.

Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank said that Asia excluding Japan will grow 8.2 percent this year, significantly higher than its April forecast.

"We have recovered. I think more or less we are back to our normal situation," said Abou, adding that the participants at the Brussels meeting represent 58 percent of the world's population, 50 percent of global GDP and over 60 percent of global trade.