The Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held a meeting Thursday, which was presided over by Chairman of the Board Fidel Ramos.

Long Yongtu, secretary-general of the BFA, reported the work of the secretariat and the preparations for the upcoming 2004 BFA annual conference, slated for Saturday and Sunday, to the Board of Directors.

Long said that though the last BFA annual conference was held just a half year ago, this year's annual conference still attracted many high-level participants.

Moreover, this year's conference has attached great importance to the selection of topics, which will focus on global and regional issues of common concern, said Long.

Long also briefed the board of directors on the BFA's work plan for 2004. Besides the annual conference, a high-level forum on Asian development and cooperation, an international forum on energy resources, a forum on education in Asia and a world tourism conference are also to be organized in the latter half of the year.

The secretary-general said the BFA should not only be far-sighted in discussing long-term cooperation in Asia, but also adopt a down-to-earth work style to enhance its prestige in both the Asian region and the rest of the world.

Former Philippine President Ramos and the board of directors all highly valued the work of the secretariat, and expressed their appreciation for the support the Chinese government has provided for the BFA.

They expressed the hope that the BFA will play a more important role in regional economic cooperation and in strengthening the communications between governments, enterprises and the academic circle.

On Thursday evening, Ramos presided over a general meeting of BFA members.

The Board of Directors, whose members include former Australian Prime Minister Robert James Lee Hawke and former Kazak Prime Minister Sergei Alexandrovich Tereshchenko, is the decision-making body of the BFA. It meets once a year.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2004)