FOR just a minute, forget the border quarrels and conflicting territorial claims and imagine a super-connected Eurasia — a continent with an interconnected network of not just roads, high-speed trains and aviation routes but also close economic, trade and energy ties as well as digital connections.

Then imagine just how such close links would spur this immense region’s growth and development, bringing education, health and financial resources to billions of people. The digital economy, including cross-border E-commerce, would flourish, boosting trade within the region.

People-to-people links would thrive, tourism would get a boost and hitherto remote areas would be joined up with smart cities and towns.

The good news is that connectivity — especially digital connectivity — is climbing rapidly up the agenda of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), the forum set up more than 20 years ago to foster better ties between the two regions. The debates on connectivity are also giving new energy and vibrancy to ASEM.

The not-so-good news is that discussions among the 53 ASEM countries are moving forward much too slowly, with policymakers bogged down in bureaucratic wrangling over definitions of “connectivity” and the scope of any cooperation blueprint that they agree on.

Asian and European senior officials have held several meetings on using stronger “digital connectivity to unleash the potential for innovative growth”. There is talk of policy exchanges, the sharing of best practice and experience.

At a recent gathering in Qingdao in China, ASEM representatives agreed that by creating new business opportunities and reducing the costs of transactions, digital connectivity “proves to be a key force driving growth, creating jobs and promoting innovation”.

There was heady talk of fostering a “Digital Asia-Europe”, joint efforts to create a “peaceful, secure, open and cooperative environment for ICT technology” and accelerating the construction of digital infrastructure.

It’s now the turn of ASEM foreign ministers, meeting in Myanmar on Nov 20-21, to take the discussion further. One topic on the agenda is the preparation of a sustainable connectivity index which would provide in-depth information on the different ways — trade, tourism, education — in which Asia and Europe are already connected.

ASEM governments are right to highlight the potential of digital connectivity to boost trade and investments between Asia and Europe. As digital connectivity makes its headway, it continues to create new opportunities for all sectors in the economy.

However, ASEM cooperation should be enlarged to also cover the use of digital connectivity to promote and accelerate implementation of the Agenda 2030 of sustainable development goals.

Access to digital technologies and the internet is already empowering the world’s poor and disadvantaged people, creating jobs, allowing more women to participate in the labour market, facilitating the quick and efficient transfer of money, and providing millions of people with access to health and educational facilities. It’s now well known that more people have access to mobile phones than they do to electricity, sanitation or clean water.

But there is much more to be done. In addition to the focus on building digital economies, ASEM governments should pool their resources — and their energy — to explore ways in which digital connectivity can be used to speed up growth and development across Asia and Europe.

Digital connectivity within ASEM could for example focus on bringing financial services to the millions of people who are outside the formal banking system. Overall, only about 59 per cent of men and 50pc of women in developing countries have an account at a regulated financial institution. The development of digital payment systems, especially mobile money, which exist in most Asian countries, can be expanded to help overcome barriers to accessing financial services.

The use of ICTs in agriculture can help farmers obtain the information they need to promote transformative agricultural development. Interest is especially keen in increasing access to extension services, improving marketing of outputs and arranging logistics.

Despite huge progress over the past two decades, health remains a challenge in many countries, especially in rural areas. Digital technologies can help patients to contact health care services remotely regardless of their proximity to a healthcare centre while health care workers can learn and prepare for disease outbreaks, identify patient symptoms, follow established treatment protocols, perform remote diagnostics and access expert support.

ASEM digital connectivity would also help to power a revolution in digital learning across Asia and Europe, helping to break down economic barriers between rural and urban populations, as well as the gender divide.

ASEM countries could promote e-government, thereby contributing to the accountability of institutions and public servants. ASEM digital connectivity can play an important role in crisis management, humanitarian aid and peace-building.

Finally, digitalisation is potentially a powerful tool for social transformation and gender equality. Technological access, technical expertise and the often inadequate infrastructure and high cost of connectivity in developing nations, prevent many women from taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by ICTs.

To prevent a digital divide, ASEM governments can work together to make the internet universally accessible and affordable.

ASEM has so far proved its value in keeping Asia-Europe relations on track despite a changing global landscape over the last 20 years. The focus on digital connectivity gives a new impetus to the relationship which should be encouraged and fostered.

The writer is Dawn’s correspondent in Brussels

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2017