ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
On 13 July 2023, the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Minsters’ Meeting was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan HAYASHI Yoshimasa attended and co-chaired the meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.
On the review of ASEAN-Japan cooperation and its future direction, Deputy Prime Minister Don of Thailand and Ministers of other countries mentioned that Japan’s efforts under the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) has been contributing to the progress of efforts under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and expressed their appreciation for Japan’s cooperation in many areas and their hope that this year’s Commemorative Summit will be an opportunity to further strengthen ASEAN-Japan relations.
In response, the overview of Minister Hayashi’s remarks is as follows:
i) Japan has been consistently supporting ASEAN centrality and unity, and has implemented many concrete cooperation projects in line with four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP);
ii) Japan has been taking initiatives, including energy transition assistance through the “Asia Zero Emission Community” initiative, the establishment of ERIA’s Centre for Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy, and support for the establishment and operationalization of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. In the ‘‘New Plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)’’announced by Prime Minister KISHIDA in March, he clearly positioned the Southeast Asia as an important region. He also announced a new contribution of USD 100 million to the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), and a renewal of the Japan-ASEAN Connectivity Initiative;
iii) Japan would like to further promote attractive cultural, people-to-people, and intellectual exchange such as JENESYS and the “WA Project”.
Read also the Chairman’s statement here.
