PRESS RELEASES

Informal Consultations between the Committee of Permanent Representatives and Dialogue Partners

November 18, 2013

    The Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) and ASEAN Dialogue Partners held informal consultations on 14 November in Bali. H.E. Mr. Kimihiro ISHIKANE, Ambassador of Japan to ASEAN, represented Japan in the meeting.

    During the consultations, the current priorities and challenges of ASEAN Community Building in three areas, namely, political security, economy, and social and cultural area, were explained by the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC). A Plan for the strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat was also explained by ASEC. Then, lively exchange of opinions took place among the participants.

    With regard to ASEAN’s Post-2015 Vision, ASEAN side explained that the main elements for the Vision include such ideas as people-centred, rule-based, credible and effective ASEAN, and High Level Task Force will be established to present the Vision for adoption at the 27th ASEAN Summit in the autumn of 2015. Dialogue Partners provided their comments and confirmed their continued support in the future. Amb. Ishikane explained that Japan and ASEAN will formulate Medium and Long-term Vision for Japan and ASEAN at the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit to be held in December this year, and that ASEAN-Japan Economic Ministers Meeting last year adopted the 10-year Roadmap toward 2022 in order to double the volume of trade and investment between Japan and ASEAN.

    Through these discussions, ASEAN and Dialogue Partners confirmed to continue cooperation and to have another informal consultation between CPR and Dialogue Partners next year.

    After the consultations, the participants had a tour of the venue of the consultation, which is the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and a tree - planting ceremony was conducted by Ambassadors from ASEAN and Dialogue Partners in commemorating the consultations.

Ref: Dialogue Partners of ASEAN are the following 10 members: Japan, Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.