Jakarta, 11 November 2025: ERIA co-hosted the ASEAN–Japan Symposium: Co-creation in an Era of Geoeconomics at the ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) in Jakarta. The event was organised by the Mission of Japan to ASEAN, in collaboration with ERIA, the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), and the Japan–ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

Bringing together leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society across ASEAN and Japan, the symposium reflected on 5 decades of ASEAN–Japan partnership and explored how this enduring relationship can drive co-creation for a more resilient and sustainable Indo-Pacific in an era shaped by geoeconomic transformation.

ERIA’s Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations, Dr Aladdin D. Rillo, delivered keynote remarks alongside H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN; H.E. Kiya Masahiko, Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN; and H.E. Gerard Ho Wei Hong, Ambassador of Singapore to ASEAN.

In Session 1: Upgrading ASEAN–Japan Cooperation through Co-creation, Dr Nuki Agya Utama, ERIA Director for Energy Policy and Head of the Asia Zero Emission Center, joined regional leaders to discuss advancing ASEAN–Japan collaboration toward the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. He highlighted the initiatives of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and ERIA’s Asia Zero Emission Center, emphasising pragmatic, balanced, and inclusive approaches to the region’s clean energy transition.

Session 2: ASEAN and Japan in an Era of Geoeconomics, moderated by Dr Dionisius A. Narjoko, ERIA Senior Economist, brought together high-level speakers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, and the private sector. Discussions underscored the enduring strength of the ASEAN–Japan partnership – anchored in trust, shared values, and a collective commitment to a rules-based and sustainable Indo-Pacific order.