On 7 July 2021, the 13th Dialogue between Secretary General of ASEAN and the Federation of Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN (FJCCIA) was held online.  The meeting was attended by Mr. INOUE Soichi, chairman of the FJCCIA; H.E. Ambassador CHIBA Akira from the Mission of Japan to ASEAN; and the Secretary General of ASEAN, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi.
 

1. The FJCCIA made proposals on three areas, namely maximizing the potential of intra-ASEAN market and broader economic integration, inclusive digital transformation, and a more sustainable and resilient future.  In response, the ASEAN Secretariat shared the current situation and future actions on each proposal.
    
2. Ambassador Chiba explained about efforts made by Japan and ASEAN to work together in order to prevent the expansion of the pandemic and accelerate economic recovery, through economic cooperation such as strengthening supply chains as well as the assistance for the ASEAN Center for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (A-CPHEED), while mentioning a great deal of potentials of Japan-ASEAN cooperation, under the “Joint Statement of the 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit on Cooperation on ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific” as the milestone of the future cooperation.
    
3. Secretary General Lim pointed out the importance of the dialogue for mutual understanding, and stated that ASEAN and Japan could focus on digitalization and sustainability to strengthen business-to-business collaborations in order to recover from the adverse effects caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. In addition, he committed to following the discussions in this dialogue.