Jakarta, 5 May 2025: On 5 May 2025, former Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Fumio Kishida, visited the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Jakarta, accompanied by key members of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Parliamentary League and the ERIA Parliamentary League. The delegation was warmly welcomed by ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe and ERIA staff, and engaged in a productive and meaningful dialogue.

In his remarks, H.E. Kishida, who currently serves as Senior Advisor to the AZEC Parliamentary League, reaffirmed the importance of AZEC’s two core principles: the ‘Triple Breakthrough’ – pursuing economic growth, decarbonisation, and energy security in parallel – and the principle of ‘Various Pathways,’ which acknowledges and respects each country’s unique circumstances in achieving net-zero targets.

He also referenced the Action Plan for the Next Decade, outlining the promotion of ‘AZEC Solutions,’ including initiatives to improve GHG emissions visibility and support for transition finance. H.E. Kishida highlighted the AZEC Center’s critical role as a strategic platform to help partner countries develop national visions, roadmaps, and policies for energy transition. He expressed his hope that the Center would serve as a ‘knowledge engine’ for AZEC and play a catalytic role in advancing regional decarbonisation.

Mr Koichi Hagiuda, Advisor to the AZEC Parliamentary League and Chairman of the ERIA Parliamentary League, emphasised ERIA’s vital role in supporting the region during a time of global uncertainty. He reiterated the long-standing vision of positioning ERIA as the ‘Asian OECD’ and stressed its potential to serve as the ‘Command Post’ for AZEC. Mr Hagiuda also underscored the importance of fostering innovation ecosystems through initiatives like E-DISC, encouraging the development of startups and unicorns. He called for stronger coordination amongst ERIA, the Asia Zero Emission Center, and AZEC Partner Countries to realise shared goals.

Mr Ken Saito, Chairman of the AZEC Parliamentary League, noted that AZEC progresses on two essential pillars: vision and policy development support, and support for tangible decarbonisation projects. He expressed his expectations for ERIA to play a leading role in the former, offering tailored policy support rooted in a deep understanding of each country’s unique context and needs.

Following the keynote remarks, Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Head of the Asia Zero Emission Center, presented the Center’s key initiatives. He highlighted ongoing collaborative projects with AZEC partner countries, emphasising the Center’s commitment to a just, inclusive, and practical energy transition, carried out in close partnership with regional governments and stakeholders.

The visit reaffirmed the strong and growing partnership between ERIA and the Government of Japan, and underscored the rising momentum of AZEC as a platform for regional cooperation in the energy transition.