Jakarta (VNA) - Senior officials of ASEAN and Japan attending the 38th ASEAN-Japan Forum in Tokyo on March 28 reaffirmed theircommitments to further advance the partnership and strengthen cooperation, asboth sides are marking the 50th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations this year.  

The meeting highlighted the substantive progress made in ASEAN-Japancooperation in all pillars over the past year, particularly in the execution ofthe Revised Implementation Plan of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-JapanFriendship and Cooperation adopted in 2013. Notably, all of the action lines💝 inthe plan have been implemented through multiple programmes and projects carriedout in a wide range of cooperation areas.

In support of the ASEAN ComprehensiveRecovery Framework, the two sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperationto facilitate the regional economic recovery in the areas of trade andinvestment, digital economy, sustainable development, connectivity, disastermanagement, climate change, food and energy security, global health, andpeople-to-people exchanges.

ASEAN welcomed Japan’s support for the ASEAN Outlook onthe Indo-Pacific (AOIP), noting the similarities with Japan’s Free and OpenIndo-Pacific Strategy, and Japan’s willingness to enhance cooperation bylaunching projects in the key areas of AOIP.

Themeeting discussed deliverables for the 50th anniversary, in particular thepreparation for the ASEAN-Japan Commemorativeಌ Summit to be held in Tokyo inDecember 2023. Among the goals for the summit is the adoption of a visionstatement and an implementation plan to advance future relations.

On this occasion, Japan formally requested for theestablishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with ASEAN. It ishoped that the CSP will be announced this year to mark the special milestonein the long-standing relationship, and demonstrate both sides’ commitment tomake the partnership even more substantive, meaningful and mutually beneficialin the coming decades.

Themeeting also welcomed the establishment of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund(JAIF) 3.0 with a contribution of 100 million USD from Japan. JAIF 3.0 is adeliverable targeted for the partnership’s 50th anniversary to support variousinitiatives especially the activities relating to the implementation of the keyareas of AOIP.

The 38thASEAN-Japan Forum was co-chaired by Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministryof Thailand Sarun Charoensuwan and Senior Deputy Foreign Minister of JapanYamada Shigeo. In attendance were senior officers of ꦯASEAN member states, andthe Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community./.