Seoul, 17 December 2024: At the invitation of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea (ROK), ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe and Executive Secretary to the President/Research Associate Tomy Waskitho attended the ROK–ASEAN Think Tank Dialogue on Economic and Trade Policy (AKTD) roundtable in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The meeting convened approximately 30 participants, including ambassadors and representatives from ASEAN Member States’ embassies in the ROK, a representative from the ASEAN Secretariat, and the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET). The dialogue centred on preparations for the official launch of AKTD during APEC 2025, which the ROK will host.

H.E. Inkyo Cheong, Korea’s Minister of Trade, highlighted 2024 as a landmark year when the ROK and ASEAN elevated their partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Minister Cheong underscored the need for strengthened collaboration to achieve shared goals.

During the discussions, ERIA President Watanabe introduced ERIA’s initiatives supporting ASEAN’s development priorities and explored potential synergies between ERIA and AKTD. A representative from the ASEAN Secretariat elaborated on the ASEAN–Korea partnership, while KIET, tasked with managing the AKTD project, presented detailed plans for its implementation.

The roundtable concluded with an engaging exchange of ideas amongst ministers, the ERIA President, the ASEAN Secretariat, and ASEAN Member State ambassadors. President Watanabe expressed his gratitude to Minister Cheong for inviting ERIA to participate in this significant dialogue and reiterated ERIA’s commitment to supporting ASEAN–Korea cooperation.