Greetings from DISG Secretariat
Dear Readers,
I am Masuo Kuremura, Chair of the DISG. Geopolitical risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz are escalating, and nations are facing critical challenges in securing stable energy supplies and managing associated supply chain risks. Against this backdrop, the “AZEC+” Leaders Meeting was convened on April 15, bringing together leaders from Japan and ASEAN countries. During the meeting, participants discussed strategic responses to the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz and explored measures to strengthen regional energy resilience, including joint stockpiling initiatives. As a concrete outcome, Japan announced a commitment of $100 million in support for an initial one-year period.
This initiative, titled “POWERR Asia,” aims to assist ASEAN countries in securing energy supplies, diversifying energy sources through alternatives such as biofuels, promoting related industries, and accelerating industrial transformation for the new era through innovation driven by digital and deep-tech technologies. Building on this momentum, Prime Minister Takaichi visited Vietnam, while Special Envoy Kishida visited the Philippines, where they confirmed further economic and energy cooperation between Japan and each respective partner country.
Within the framework of POWERR Asia, DISG will vigorously promote Japan-ASEAN economic cooperation from the private sector’s perspective, focusing on our four long-standing pillars: 1) supply chain resilience, 2) deep-tech innovation, 3) AI and digital technology, and 4) energy transition. Based on this strategic approach, we will submit policy recommendations ahead of the next AEM-METI (ASEAN Economic Ministers and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan) Consultations to be held in Manila this September. To this end, DISG will convene a meeting in Thailand to develop concrete cooperation plans and formulate these policy recommendations.
Best regards,
Masuo Kuremura
DISG Task Force Chair
Executive Director, JETRO Singapore
Special Advisor to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Visit to the Philippines by Representative Kishida
On April 30, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Member of the House of Representatives, visited the Philippines as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae and Supreme Advisor to the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Parliamentary League, accompanied by a delegation from the Parliamentary League. During the visit, Special Envoy Kishida held meetings with H.E. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, and Ms. Sharon S. Garin, Secretary of the Department of Energy of the Philippines.
● Meeting with President Marcos
Mr. KISHIDA emphasized that in light of the situation in the Middle East, the concept of AZEC—which aims to simultaneously achieve energy security, economic growth, and decarbonization—has become all the more important, and President Marcos stated that the importance of AZEC initiatives has increased even further, expressing his desire to continue to cooperate closely in order to overcome the crisis. During the meeting, Mr. KISHIDA handed over a letter from Prime Minister TAKAICHI, conveying her determination to co-host the 4th AZEC Leaders Meeting with the Philippines in November, while also expressing his hope to enhance cooperation in various fields in this year, which marks the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines. Furthermore, the two discussed concrete cooperation under the Partnership On Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia) and deliberated on the direction of the evolution of AZEC with strengthened perspectives on economic and energy resilience.
● Meeting with Energy Secretary Garin
Mr. KISHIDA conveyed Japan’s hope that the Philippines would cooperate as co-chair at the Ministerial Meeting in September, and Secretary Garin expressed her intention to further deepen cooperation ahead of this meeting. Both sides concurred to work in close cooperation on the future direction of cooperation, including the promotion of concrete projects and the strengthening of AZEC’s functions. Secretary Garin also expressed her keen desire to advance cooperation in close partnership with Japanese companies, whose representatives also participated in the meeting and engaged in an active exchange of views.
- Mr. KISHIDA’s Visit to the Philippines, as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister (meetings with President Marcos and Secretary Garin) (English) (LINK)
Japan-Indonesia Business Forum
On March 30, Parliamentary Vice-Minister KOMORI Takuo attended the "Japan-Indonesia Business Forum," which was organized on the occasion of the first official visit to Japan of H.E. Mr. Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia. The forum aimed to further strengthen bilateral economic relations through expanding and facilitating Japanese companies’ business activities in Indonesia and promoting trade between the two countries.
In his remarks, Parliamentary Vice-Minister KOMORI highlighted the strong, long-standing cooperation and trust between the two countries, and stated that amid growing international instability, the Governments of Japan and Indonesia have aligned to select and prioritize key industries and develop specific projects towards achieving greater autonomy, in collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
The forum, which was also attended by numerous high-level officials from the Government of Indonesia, served as a prominent platform to unveil ten Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) involving Japanese and Indonesian companies, worth 22.6 billion U.S. dollars in total.
- Parliamentary Vice-Minister KOMORI Attends Japan-Indonesia Business Forum (English) (LINK)
Courtesy Call on Parliamentary Vice-Minister ERI by H.E. Mr. SAK Setha, Senior Minister of Cambodia
On April 23, Ms. ERI Arfiya, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call from H.E. Mr. SAK Setha, Senior Minister of Cambodia. Parliamentary Vice-Minister ERI commended Minister SAK’s long-standing dedication to improving Cambodia's administrative efficiency. In turn, Minister SAK expressed deep gratitude for Japan’s continuous capacity-building support, highlighted by the dispatch of the “Policy Advisor for Local Administration,” which has significantly driven the nation's development. Concluding the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to working together toward further strengthening governance in Cambodia.
- Courtesy Call on Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs ERI by H.E. Mr. SAK Setha, Senior Minister of Cambodia (English) (LINK)
The 9th CEFIA Public-Private Forum Convened Online
On April 22, the 9th CEFIA (Cleaner Energy Future Initiative for ASEAN) Public-Private Forum was held online, bringing together government, business, and financial sector representatives from Japan and ASEAN to promote the deployment of decarbonization technologies and institutional framework development. At the outset, Mr. OCHI Takao, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, delivered a video message on behalf of the Government of Japan, emphasizing the critical significance of balancing a stable energy supply with energy transition under current global conditions, while reaffirming Japan's commitment to driving regional decarbonization through the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and CEFIA.
● Session I: Progress and Future Development of Existing Flagship Projects
In Session I, presentations were delivered on the progress and future development of CEFIA's ongoing flagship projects, specifically in the areas of Net Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB), biomass, hydrogen and ammonia, and microgrids. Local enterprises from the host nation, the Philippines, also shared their operational experiences and specific deployment strategies within these technology sectors.
● Session II: Launch of New Initiatives and Presentation of Advanced Japanese Technologies and Policies
In Session II, a new flagship project dedicated to CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) was formally established to address regional carbon management. Additionally, to foster future bilateral partnerships, Japanese representatives presented cutting-edge technological advancements and strategic policies in sustainable fuels and offshore wind power.
● Session III: Strengthening ASEAN Energy Security and Strategic Public-Private Cooperation
In Session III, discussions centered on the consensus that expanding renewable energy and energy efficiency is paramount to mitigating geopolitical risks and ensuring a resilient regional energy infrastructure. Panelists actively deliberated on identifying priority technologies tailored to regional needs and defined CEFIA's future contributions amid shifting global energy dynamics.
- 9th CEFIA Government-Private Forum Held (English) (LINK)
Editorial Note
