(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />European and Asian leaders gathered at the National Convention Centre in the Laos capital on Monday (November 5) for the start of a two-day summit that's expected to focus on free trade and the Eurozone's debt crisis.<br/> <br />The Asia-Europe meeting officially admitted Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway as new members at the ninth ASEM summit in Vientiane.<br/> <br />A brief ceremony was held to mark the accession of the three countries into the ASEM forum.<br/> <br />China and Japan are not expected to hold meetings in light of the row over disputed islands in the East China Sea.<br/> <br />ASEM has 52 partners in Asia and Europe and was established in 1996.
