Kuala Lumpur, 22 September 2025: ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe participated in the 5th Meeting of the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force (AGTF), held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur. The meeting was convened alongside the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) and Related Meetings, taking place on 22–26 September 2025.

Chaired by H.E. Datuk Seri Utama Tengku Zafrul bin Tengku Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, the AGTF brought together vice ministers, senior government officials, and leaders of international organisations and regional think tanks, including ERIA.

In his intervention, President Watanabe emphasised the need for a strong knowledge base to effectively implement and monitor the Task Force’s recommendations. He reaffirmed ERIA’s commitment to supporting the AGTF with rigorous research and evidence-based policy insights, in close collaboration with other regional institutions.