ASEAN-Japan Special Leaders’ Meeting Held to Announce Public-Private Partnership Measures for Co-Creation
A special summit meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation was held in Tokyo on December 17, with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio attending as chair, and leaders from ASEAN member countries, including President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, who co-chaired the ASEAN side. In addition, Prime Minister Shana Guzman of East Timor, which is seeking full membership in ASEAN, attended as an observer, as did Secretary-General Kao Kim Horn of the ASEAN Secretariat.
The meeting discussed four topics: “Review of ASEAN-Japan Relations,” “Partners for Peace and Stability, Regional and International Affairs,” “Cross-Generational Heart-to-Heart Partnership” (working lunch), and “Partners for Co-Creating Future Economy and Society.
The session on “Partners for Co-Creating Future Economies and Societies” focused on new public-private partnerships between Japan and ASEAN to solve issues through co-creation, including (1) the establishment of the Asia Zero Emission Center at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and (2) the establishment of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) at the ASEAN Economic Research Institute for East Asia (ERIA). (2) launch of the ASEAN-Japan Next Generation Automotive Industry Co-Creation Initiative, and (3) boosting private investment to strengthen connectivity, combat climate change, and support small, medium, and micro enterprises and start-ups. He also indicated the steady realization of commitments through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), to which he announced an additional US$100 million contribution in March 2023.
