ASEAN, Japan Reaffirm Commitment to Strengthen Cooperation and Advance Partnership

21 June 2022 -

Senior Officials from ASEAN and Japan reaffirmed commitment to further strengthen cooperation and advance their partnership towards the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations next year. The Senior Officials met at the 37th ASEAN-Japan Forum held yesterday via videoconference. The meeting took note of the substantive progress made in ASEAN-Japan cooperation over the past one year in the four pillars of peace and stability, prosperity, quality of life, and heart-to-heart partnerships.

ASEAN welcomed Japan’s support to ASEAN Community building efforts, and in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, including Japan’s substantial contribution for the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases Centre (ACPHEED). ASEAN and Japan underlined the need to enhance cooperation on peace and stability, trade and connectivity, health security, digital transformation, smart cities, environment protection, sustainable development and resilience, and people-to-people exchange.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in the key areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), in line with the Joint Statement of the 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit on Cooperation on the AOIP. The two sides agreed on the designation of 2023 as the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, with a series of events to be conducted by both sides throughout the year.

The Feasibility Study on the Establishment of ACPHEED and Detailed Design and Preparation Support for the ACPHEED projects are supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).