ASEAN seeks to tighten economic gaps
A series of reports released at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh on November 19 have turned attention to the need to accelerate economic integration in the strikingly disparate region.
With the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) expected by the end of 2015, the reports – released by the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN (ERIA) – are being welcomed for providing the comprehensive assistance needed to address energy security and connectivity concerns.
This is critical because as time begins to tick ever closer to the community’s deadline, diplomats have begun worrying that failure to meet the goals of the framework would be caustic to the regional bloc’s legitimacy.
Among the reports is a comprehensive framework to promote the inclusive growth of lesser developed regional partners, which includes “promoting implementation of the priority projects which are most beneficial to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, the newer members of ASEAN,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said during the summit.
Headed by Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura, Executive Director, ERIA completed “The Phnom Penh Initiatives for Narrowing Development Gaps” report for the gathering of Asian leaders, the direct outcome of a symposium organised by the government of Cambodia, Harvard University and the ERIA.
For the first time, ERIA released a multi-year economic plan to map out developmental initiatives in Myanmar, where the average per capital GDP is $848, the lowest in the ASEAN region.
ERIA recently established a new department at the organisation’s base in Jakarta to research issues related to energy security, with a particular focus on energy efficiency in the region.
During the summit, ERIA also submitted the “Executive Summary of Mid-Term Review of the Implementation of the AEC” blueprint, which provides the overall assessment of the implementation measures under the AEC framework.
Officials in Naypyidaw have been working in close cooperation with the ERIA, it has been reported.
The ERIA is a team of nine researchers that hail from partner countries of the East Asia Summit. Japan, India, Australia, News Zealand and ASEAN provide funding for the ERIA’s activities.
A series of reports released at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh on November 19 have turned attention to the need to accelerate economic integration in the strikingly disparate region. With the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) expected by the end of 2015, the reports - released by the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN (ERIA) - are being welcomed for providing the comprehensive assistance needed to address energy security and connectivity concerns. This is critical because as time begins to tick ever closer to the community's deadline, diplomats have begun worrying that failure to meet the goals...
A series of reports released at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh on November 19 have turned attention to the need to accelerate economic integration in the strikingly disparate region.
With the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) expected by the end of 2015, the reports – released by the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN (ERIA) – are being welcomed for providing the comprehensive assistance needed to address energy security and connectivity concerns.
This is critical because as time begins to tick ever closer to the community’s deadline, diplomats have begun worrying that failure to meet the goals of the framework would be caustic to the regional bloc’s legitimacy.
Among the reports is a comprehensive framework to promote the inclusive growth of lesser developed regional partners, which includes “promoting implementation of the priority projects which are most beneficial to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, the newer members of ASEAN,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said during the summit.
Headed by Professor Hidetoshi Nishimura, Executive Director, ERIA completed “The Phnom Penh Initiatives for Narrowing Development Gaps” report for the gathering of Asian leaders, the direct outcome of a symposium organised by the government of Cambodia, Harvard University and the ERIA.
For the first time, ERIA released a multi-year economic plan to map out developmental initiatives in Myanmar, where the average per capital GDP is $848, the lowest in the ASEAN region.
ERIA recently established a new department at the organisation’s base in Jakarta to research issues related to energy security, with a particular focus on energy efficiency in the region.
During the summit, ERIA also submitted the “Executive Summary of Mid-Term Review of the Implementation of the AEC” blueprint, which provides the overall assessment of the implementation measures under the AEC framework.
Officials in Naypyidaw have been working in close cooperation with the ERIA, it has been reported.
The ERIA is a team of nine researchers that hail from partner countries of the East Asia Summit. Japan, India, Australia, News Zealand and ASEAN provide funding for the ERIA’s activities.
