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Next year's European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre will be the first co-sanctioned Asian Tour event to be played in Europe, the two tours announced on Friday.

The PGA European Tour's director of international policy, Keith Waters, said a minimum of 30 players from the Asian Tour would take part in next year's tournament.

Waters said no European Tour players had objected to the prospect of losing places to players from Asia.

However, there had not yet been a vote on the issue by the players' tournament committee, he added.

"Generally it's been accepted and it's understood by the committee," Waters told a news conference.

Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said in a statement that the co-sanctioning was "a wonderful arrangement" for his players.

"This will pave the way for our players to seek greater achievements," Han said.

"It will help them adapt to different conditions, language, food, cooler weather and different types of grasses."

The European Tour and the Asian Tour were at loggerheads last year over what Asia described as "an invasion" by European players taking part in co-sanctioned events.

Both Waters and Han refuted the suggestion that the 2009 European Masters was a form of compensation to the Asian Tour.

Waters said the event could pave the way for more Asian co-sanctioned events in Europe.

"As more and more Asian players get into the world's top 50 pressure will increase," he added.

Next year's European Masters will also begin Europe's 2010 Ryder Cup campaign.

(Source: Reuters)