Jakarta, 4 December 2024: ERIA and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) hosted a roundtable dialogue at ERIA’s office on 4 December 2024. The dialogue aimed to introduce ERIA’s work to ASEAN business leaders and explore opportunities for collaboration.

ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe welcomed the ASEAN-BAC delegation, emphasising the critical role of the business community in advancing ASEAN’s agenda. He highlighted Malaysia’s pivotal role as Chair of ASEAN-BAC in 2025, noting, ‘Malaysia’s leadership will be instrumental as 2025 marks the conclusion of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the beginning of the Post-2025 agenda.’ President Watanabe reaffirmed ERIA’s commitment to deepening its engagement with ASEAN-BAC, building on the strong collaboration established under Indonesia’s Chairmanship in 2023 and Lao PDR’s Chairmanship in 2024.

Jukhee Hong, Executive Director of ASEAN-BAC Malaysia, delivered the opening remarks, introducing the delegation and expressing her hope for close cooperation with ERIA to ensure the success of Malaysia’s Chairmanship in the coming year.

The dialogue featured key presentations from ERIA’s leadership. Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Director for Energy Policy and Head of the Asia Zero Emission Centre, highlighted ERIA’s initiatives on energy policy and research. Meanwhile, Hiroshi Ishikawa and Kentaro Machii shared insights into E-DISC’s activities on startups and digital innovation.

In his concluding remarks, Tan Sri Nazir Razak, Chairman of ASEAN-BAC 2025, outlined Malaysia’s priorities for the upcoming year and expressed enthusiasm for partnering with ERIA on critical initiatives, particularly in areas related to business entities and carbon neutrality. President Watanabe closed the dialogue by reaffirming ERIA’s steadfast commitment to supporting ASEAN-BAC’s initiatives and fostering regional progress through collaboration.