Kuala Lumpur, 8 August 2024: On the 57th ASEAN Day, ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe was invited as a keynote speaker at the 6th ASEAN Economic Integration Forum (AEIF) in Kuala Lumpur. He delivered a speech on the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

President Watanabe highlighted the promising outlook for ASEAN, noting that the region is well-positioned to capitalise on several key demographic and economic trends. He remarked that ‘one major driver of ASEAN’s prospective growth is its young demographic’ and emphasised that the shifting global supply chain is offering economic opportunities to enhance the region’s industrial strength.

He also pointed out that the expanding middle class will create significant market opportunities and lead to increased consumer spending, thereby boosting demand for a broad range of goods and services and fostering robust economic growth.

In his speech, President Watanabe also presented three recommendations for advancing ASEAN Community Vision 2045: focusing on human resource development; sustaining innovation in science and technology; and continuing efforts in decarbonisation and energy transition.

The forum was attended by H.E. Liew Chin Tong, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Malaysia; Professor Fukunari Kimura, IDE-JETRO President and ERIA Senior Research Fellow; and other high-level officials and distinguished researchers.

Before the forum, President Watanabe and H.E. Liew Chin Tong held a bilateral meeting to discuss potential support from ERIA for Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025.