11 December 2024 – In conjunction with Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025, the Embassy of Malaysia in Japan organised an ASEAN Symposium under the theme “ASEAN Community Vision 2024: Challenges and Opportunities” at the New Otani Hotel, Tokyo. The symposium was attended by over 70 guests from various backgrounds, including, Heads of Mission of the ASEAN member states and dialogue partners in Japan, Japanese senior government officials, geopolitical and economic strategists, business leaders, academicians and publication editors.
The keynote address was delivered by H.E. Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram bin Yaakob, former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, who was also involved in the establishment of the ASEAN Community during Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2015. The panel discussions were moderated by Mr. Shin Nakayama, Editor-in-Chief of Nikkei Asia, Nikkei Inc., with the involvement of H.E. Tan Sri Shahrul, Prof. Dr. Akira Igata, Project lecturer and Director of the Economic Security Research Programme (ESRP), Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, and Mr. Koichiro Matsumoto, Managing Director of the Strategic Research Coordination, Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA).
The symposium was organised with the objectives of introducing Malaysia as the upcoming Chair of ASEAN beginning 2025, and to solicit views, especially on the challenges with regard to the attainment of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 during the chairmanship.