BEIJING, April 22(Xinhuanet)-- Deputy finance ministers representing 39 members of Asia Europe Meeting(ASEM) gathered in Xi'an, capital city of north China's Shaanxi Province, Friday to brace for the upcoming Sixth ASEM Finance Ministers' Meeting to be held later in China, according to the Chinese ministry of finance said on Friday.

The ministry noted that the meeting was aimed at preparing for the forthcoming Sixth ASEM Finance Ministers' Meeting(ASEM FMM) to be held in Tianjin, north China, on 26 June 2005.

Friday's meeting was chaired by Li Yong, Chinese vice minister of finance, and was attended by the Finance Deputies of 39 ASEM members and representatives of international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Central Bank.

Participants conducted in-depth discussions on a range of issues, such as the global and regional economy development, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the ASEM FMM, and economic and financial cooperation between Asia and Europe, the ministry said in a statement.

They also conferred on the expected outcome of the Sixth ASEM FMM, the framework and major contents of the Chairman's Statement of the Sixth ASEM Finance Ministers' Meeting and the TIANJIN INITIATIVE on Closer ASEM Economic and Financial Cooperation.

It was decided that the next ASEM Finance Deputies' Meeting would be held in an EU country in 2006.

The ministry said preparations for the Sixth ASEM FMM are progressing smoothly. Media registration will start on May 8.

Interested reporters, both domestic and foreign, are welcome tovisit the official website of the Sixth ASEM FMM: www.asemfmm.gov.cn, for on-line registration, according to the statement. Enditem