Jakarta, 4 June 2025: Her Excellency Dr Nguyen Thi Hoang Huong, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to ASEAN, paid a courtesy visit to ERIA and met with President Tetsuya Watanabe to reflect on ongoing co-operation and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

Ambassador Huong expressed her appreciation for ERIA’s support during Viet Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020. She also highlighted ERIA’s meaningful contributions to the ASEAN Future Forum – a flagship initiative launched by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh – in which President Watanabe participated in both the 2024 and 2025 editions. The Ambassador further acknowledged ERIA’s support for Viet Nam’s current role as Chair of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), emphasising its importance for narrowing development gaps within the region.

President Watanabe thanked Ambassador Huong for her visit and reaffirmed ERIA’s strong commitment to working closely with Viet Nam. He recognised Viet Nam as a key partner in advancing regional economic integration, inclusiveness, and long-term resilience. He also commended the country’s leadership in fostering forward-looking regional dialogue and reiterated ERIA’s readiness to provide policy insights and analytical support in areas of shared interest.