A two-day meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers began Monday in Myanmar with ministers calling for stronger partnership to promote peace and sustainable development in the two continents.

A draft of the chair's statement obtained by Kyodo News shows the ministers will not directly discuss the humanitarian crisis in the host country's Rakhine State that has seen over half a million Muslim Rohingya flee to the safety of Bangladesh.

Instead, the ministers will stick to reaffirming their "commitment to combat terrorism and violent extremism" by such means as preventing "misuse of communications technology" to spread terrorist propaganda and violent extremism, according to the draft of the statement to be issued Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening session of the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in the capital Naypyitaw, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also her country's foreign minister, said partnership among the ASEM member countries is "crucial for the maintenance and promotion of peace and sustainable development," adding that it can only be achieved through collective efforts.

"All countries, even the developed and powerful, have to cope with constraints and difficulties...It is only through mutual understanding that the strong bonds of partnership can be formed," she told the gathering of ministers from 51 member countries, adding that there can be no durable progress and prosperity without having peace.

She said the history of numerous countries including that of Myanmar shows that "conflicts and instability cast a long and lasting shadow on the countries' developments."

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate added that there is "a vital need for a new and stronger partnership to address far-reaching challenges such as the impact of regional and international conflicts and domestic security and the threat of terrorism and violent extremism in the various forms and manifestations."

At the opening session, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said cooperation between Asia and Europe on global affairs "is even more important than it has ever been."

"We have times of change and also times of confusion. The global balance of power is shifting. Alliances are developing and changing. The system of multilateral global governance is often being questioned. In a moment like this, we all need our cooperation, our partnership, more than ever," she said.

Mogherini said Asia is "a continent of immense dimension and great economic strength" and there are many issues in which cooperation and partnership on security, connectivity, nonproliferation, and climate change can bring immense benefit for the entire continent.

Established in 1996, ASEM is a platform for dialogue and cooperation on global issues such as climate change, trade and investment, as well as security challenges related to counter-terrorism, migration, maritime security, computerization and modern-day communication technology.

ASEM brings together 51 countries from across Europe and Asia, 30 from Europe and 21 from Asia, which collectively account for 60 percent of the global population as well as the same percentages of the global economy and international trade.

Meetings of the leaders of those 51 countries and of their foreign ministers are held every two years, with the meetings held in alternate years.

Before the start of the opening session Monday, Mogherini told reporters that Suu Kyi invited a select group of ministers for a short informal discussion on the unrest in Rakhine State, characterizing the meeting as "extremely encouraging."

The Italian politician said that they discussed the need to start implementing the final report on the Rakhine issue prepared by an advisory commission chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

"I am very encouraged by the willingness and readiness of the state counselor to go in that direction," she said.

"We encourage both Bangladesh and Myanmar to work bilaterally on this issue with the support of the EU and with the rest of the international community. We believe that stopping the violence, stopping the flows of the refugees and guaranteeing fully humanitarian access to Rakhine State and safe sustainable repatriation of the refugees is going to be the key," she said.

She added that the EU is "firmly behind the democratic transition of Myanmar and we understand how delicate the process is and still ongoing."

Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, who also attended the meeting, said the ministers agreed the problem in Rakhine State is in the spotlight and needed to be solved.

He said the ministers acknowledged the actions of Suu Kyi and her government in trying to deal with the Rohingya issue, including the move to join hands with Bangladesh to send the refugees back.

In addition, he said the public should know how Suu Kyi and her government are currently dealing with the problem as information being reported in the media is not always up to date.

The Myanmar government led by Suu Kyi has repeatedly said the crisis in northern Rakhine was deliberately provoked by "extremist terrorists" to put international pressure on the government.

The government maintains that the Rohingya, a Muslim community in the overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh or the state of West Bengal in eastern India, and not legitimate citizens of Myanmar even though many have lived there for generations.

Myanmar authorities have said the military operations in Rakhine are simply aimed at restoring stability and eliminating the threat of "terrorism," after about two dozen government security posts there were attacked on Aug. 25 by Muslim militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.