ASEAN Secretariat, 29 June 2009
The ASEAN Secretariat today unveiled a new channel for dialogue with the Japanese private sector to promote trade and investment in the region. The Secretariat will facilitate the communication between Japanese businesses operating in ASEAN with the authorities in the Member States, said the Secretary-General of ASEAN today. “There are many issues to be resolved and we would be a major facilitator for constant communications between the Japanese private sector and the ASEAN Member States,” said Dr Surin Pitsuwan.
The Secretariat, said Dr Surin, would compile all the issues raised by Japanese businesses and channel them to the relevant authorities in the ASEAN Member States.
Dr Surin and members of the Secretariat earlier had a business dialogue with the Federation of Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN, where they exchanged views and opinions on how to turn ASEAN into a more conducive investment area for Japan and thus attract more investment to ASEAN not only from Japan but also the rest of the world. The Federation is expected to meet annually.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO of the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO), Mr Yasuo Hayashi, said that by conveying the messages of the Japanese private sector, through the ASEAN Secretariat, to the authorities in the ASEAN Member States, the potential of the region would be maximised.
Both men were speaking at a press conference after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the ASEAN Secretariat and JETRO. The MOU focuses on four key areas of cooperation: to strengthen the human resources capacity in ASEAN and the Secretariat; to improve the investment climate in ASEAN; to expand trade and business opportunities between Japan and ASEAN; and to alleviate poverty and narrow the development gap within ASEAN.
The MOU was signed by Dr Surin on behalf of the ASEAN Secretariat and by Mr Hayashi on behalf of JETRO.
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