Initiative for ASEAN Integration Programme Concludes, Elevate Regional Awareness
Today, the ASEAN Secretariat hosted a graduation ceremony for 12 junior officers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV). The ceremony marked the completion of the 17th Batch of the IAI Attachment Programme for Junior Diplomats and the 6th Batch of the Attachment Programme for Officers from CLMV countries involved in the AEC and ASCC at the ASEAN Secretariat (2022-2023) attachment programme.
Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community Department Satvinder Singh and Ambassador KIYA Masahiko of the Japan Mission to ASEAN attended the ceremony along with IAI Task Force members from the ASEAN Member States.
The Attachment Programme is hailed as the gold standard among IAI projects, supported by the Japanese government for over twenty years, under the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). Since 1 February 2023, the attachment officers were assigned to work under the ASEAN Political Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Departments at the ASEAN Secretariat. They will complete their assignment on 31 January.
Throughout the years, the programme has trained and provided invaluable experience to 120 officers from CLMV countries. These officers, in turn, have actively championed ASEAN integration and facilitated cooperation within their home ministries and respective countries. The programme has not only enriched the skills of CLMV officers but has also played a crucial role in fortifying ASEAN-Japan cooperation. This enduring partnership also serves as a show of the 50 years of friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
The IAI is a specific initiative dedicated to assisting CLMV countries in fulfilling their ASEAN regional commitments and in ensuring equitable economic development among the ASEAN Member States.
