Paris, 2 May 2024: ERIA has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Cooperative Activities with the OECD, extending collaboration between the two organisations in areas of mutual interest within the ten ASEAN Member States in Southeast Asia. These areas include entrepreneurship, environment policy, sustainable development, ageing population and healthcare, digitalisation and data governance, and foreign direct investment.

Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA, commended the renewal of the MoU, originally signed in 2014 and subsequently reaffirmed in 2017 and 2020.

‘We are delighted to renew our commitment to collaboration with the OECD, further solidifying our partnership in advancing the socio-economic landscape of Southeast Asia. This MoU reaffirms our shared dedication to fostering sustainable development, innovation, and prosperity in the region,’ said President Watanabe, who signed the agreement together with Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of OECD, on the sidelines of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting 2024 held in Paris.

During the ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme, which followed the opening of the Ministerial Council Meeting, Secretary-General Cormann announced the signing of the MoU to ‘enhance [their] cooperation with ERIA,’ in Southeast Asia. He characterised Southeast Asia as ‘one of the most dynamic growth region of the world.’

Distinguished figures, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida representing Japan as the Chair of this year's ministerial meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister Airlangga Hartarto, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia, and other notable Southeast Asian ministers, attended the ceremony. Their presence underscores the importance of regional cooperation and partnership in addressing shared challenges and fostering inclusive growth.