Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) organized the one-day forum, ERIA Fukuoka Forum "Economic Integration in East Asia: Opportunities and Challenges for Japanese SME" jointly with Fukuoka Prefecture to strengthen economic cooperation and investment between Fukuoka, Japan and Asia.

Asia Professional Education Network (APEN) "Only One" Small Medium Enterprises (SME) Mission in Cambodia was conducted on January 13-16, 2013 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was led by the president of Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology (AIIT), and supported by Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Phnom Penh. The delegation made a courtesy visit to H.E. Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Cambodia, on January 15, 2013

ERIA and Nara Prefecture of Japan held an awarding ceremony at the awards commemorative forum called NARA FORUM 2012 at Nara Prefectural New Public Hall in Nara City in Japan on December 18, 2012.

ERIA is honored to have been requested by the ASEAN Economic Ministers to undertake the Mid-Term Review of the Implementation of the AEC Blueprint (MTR). ERIA thanks government officials in AMSs, ASEAN Secretariat officials and staffs, and the business sector and research community in the ASEAN for supporting and contributing to the completion of the Mid-Term Review of the AEC Blueprint. The Mid-Term Review was undertaken by a large team of ERIA-based researchers co-led by Dr. Ponciano Intal Jr., Dr. Dionisius Narjoko and Atty. Yoshifumi Fukunaga supported by Dr. Fukunari Kimura and Dr. Shujiro Urata, research team for each AMS under the ERIA Research Institutes Network (RIN), and a number of individual consultants from ASEAN and the Dialogue Partner countries.

ERIA has submitted a series of recommendations to accelerate the economic integration to the ASEAN leaders during the Summits. ERIA's activities are noted with appreciation in the Chairman's Statement of 21st ASEAN Summit and 7th East Asia Summit.

H.E. Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen,Prime Minister, Kingdom of Cambodia thanks ERIA for Handing over the Principal Documents. Prof. Hidetoshi Nishimura, Executive Director of ERIA, senior officials and researchers of ERIA, paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister on November 1, 2012.

Energy market deregulation is one of the key areas of focus under the East Asia Summit (EAS) Energy Market Integration (EMI) Work Plan. The inaugural EAS Energy Market Deregulation Forum provided a platform for energy policy makers and regulators to showcase experiences, challenges and recent steps to promote energy market deregulation and to share the various measures used to gauge the performance of the electricity markets in the EAS member states.

The Symposium on Realizing a More Integrated, Competitive, Equitable, and Resilient ASEAN Community was jointly organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and Harvard University in Phnom Penh on 30-31 October 2012.