Jakarta, 11 August 2025: ASEAN’s efforts to close development gaps will remain vital to its integration and long-term prosperity, ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe said on Monday.

Speaking at the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), President Watanabe said the programme has, over the past quarter century, provided ‘the framework and partnerships needed to address disparities’ and will remain essential in the years ahead.

‘I want to congratulate the IAI on its achievements, and Her Excellency Dr Ton Thi Ngoc Huong on her excellent leadership as Chair of the Task Force in this milestone year, ’ he said, addressing an audience that included ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn, the IAI Task Force Chair, ambassadors of member states, and dialogue partners.

While cross-country disparities are often the most visible, President Watanabe noted that ‘significant gaps also persist within each country – between cities and rural areas, and between provinces that are thriving and those still left behind.’

He underscored the importance of strengthening and expanding ASEAN’s middle class, warning that as some countries’ populations begin to age, the region will need higher productivity, better-quality jobs, and more inclusive opportunities to meet national goals and realise ASEAN’s integration vision.

President Watanabe said ERIA has been privileged to support the IAI’s objectives, citing its work last year under Lao PDR’s ASEAN chairmanship to reframe strategies for narrowing development gaps and promoting sustainable, inclusive growth. ERIA presented its findings and concrete proposals to the IAI Task Force, aiming to make existing frameworks and institutions more effective and responsive.

The event also featured ERIA Economist Dr Rashesh Shrestha, who presented the institute’s reframed strategies in a session on ASEAN’s approach to narrowing gaps beyond 2025, and moderated a discussion on potential external partner support for the IAI’s next phase.

Photo Credit: ASEAN Secretariat