On 13 July 2023, the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Minsters’ Meeting was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan HAYASHI Yoshimasa attended and co-chaired the meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

On the review of ASEAN-Japan cooperation and its future direction, Deputy Prime Minister Don of Thailand and Ministers of other countries mentioned that Japan’s efforts under the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) has been contributing to the progress of efforts under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and expressed their appreciation for Japan’s cooperation in many areas and their hope that this year’s Commemorative Summit will be an opportunity to further strengthen ASEAN-Japan relations.

In response, the overview of Minister Hayashi’s remarks is as follows:

i) Japan has been consistently supporting ASEAN centrality and unity, and has implemented many concrete cooperation projects in line with four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP);

ii) Japan has been taking initiatives, including energy transition assistance through the “Asia Zero Emission Community” initiative, the establishment of ERIA’s Centre for Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy, and support for the establishment and operationalization of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases. In the ‘‘New Plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)’’announced by Prime Minister KISHIDA in March, he clearly positioned the Southeast Asia as an important region. He also announced a new contribution of USD 100 million to the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), and a renewal of the Japan-ASEAN Connectivity Initiative;

iii) Japan would like to further promote attractive cultural, people-to-people, and intellectual exchange such as JENESYS and the “WA Project”.

Read also the Chairman’s statement here.

The Jakarta Post published an article contributed by Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the occasion of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings in Jakarta.

In the article, Minister Hayashi reiterates Japan’s new plan for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) which shares its fundamental principles with the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) adopted by ASEAN and a new contribution of USD 100 million to the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), which has been supporting ASEAN countries in their efforts toward regional integration and community building.

In addition, Minister Hayashi also mentioned Japan and ASEAN have developed a relationship not only as major trade and investment partners but also as true friends with “heart-to-heart” relations built through a wide range of people-to-people exchange, one of which is JENESYS programme which has sent and invited approximately 47,000 people to and from ASEAN countries and Japan since 2007.

At the invitation of Japan Minister of Justice SAITO Ken, Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn will attend the ASEAN-Japan Special Meeting of Justice Ministers (AJSMJ), which will be held on 6-7 July 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. The visit is expected to strengthen ASEAN-Japan cooperation and partnership on the rule of law and justice. During this special meeting, SG Dr Kao will attend various related event such as the Special Youth Forum which aims to promote the role of ASEAN and Japanese youth in the area of rule of law, human rights and justice.

As ASEAN and Japan celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, the convening of AJSMJ and related events demonstrates the strong commitment of both sides to further advance ASEAN-Japan cooperation on shared fundamental values such as the rule of law and respect for human rights, and justice, among others, built on the strong foundations of ASEAN-Japan Strategic Partnership.

The ASEAN-Japan Special Youth Forum for Promoting the Rule of Law is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

As we are now half-way through the year 2023 and in the course of the series of meetings and events, discussions are in full swing on the directions and contents of new ASEAN-Japan cooperation projects to be agreed and announced at the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit at the end of the year. In this edition, Ambassador KIYA Masahiko introduces these meetings and events and discuss on how to formulate the ASEAN-Japan cooperation projects.

Based on several reports and announcements, such as the report compiled by Expert Panel for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) Mainstreaming Support announced by the Foreign Minister HAYASHI in February, a New Plan for a Free Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and an additional new USD 100 million contribution to the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) announced by Prime Minister KISHIDA in March, “Future of Asia” speech by Prime Minister Kishida in May, and the Interim Report on ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Vision released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in June, we need to form cooperation projects to materialise the new vision in various fields with ASEAN.

In doing so, it is important to recognise ASEAN’s many partners and to make most of its own strengths to realise maximum impact. For the moment, it is important for Japan to play the role of a major partner based on its long-standing trust, technology and experience, with a focus on key issues in respective sectors, and to promote cooperation in an open manner in coordination with many other partners, with ASEAN at the centre.

Tropical anguillid eel resources are utilized for direct human consumption worldwide and its demand in Southeast Asia is increasing. For the sustainable use of eel resources, effective resource management measures are urgently required. However, appropriate resource management measures have not been developed yet because of limited information and data relevant to eel biology, catch history and statistics, and aquaculture.

The Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) supported the project Development of Stock Assessment Methods and Strengthening of Resources Management Measures for Tropical Anguillid Eel in Southeast Asia carried out by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Inland Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (SEAFDEC/IFRDMD) which aims to collect the catch data and biological/ecological information and develop mathematical/statistical methods for estimating abundance of eel stocks, in order to formulate effective management measures on tropical anguillid eel resources in Southeast Asia.

These are the highlights of the project reported by IFRDMD from February to May 2023:

On 23 – 28 February 2023, the survey team from IFRDMD continued the first survey in 2023 to Poso of Central Sulawesi and Pelabuhan Ratu of West Java, Indonesia.

On 16 March 2023, IFRDMD organised a meeting at the Fisheries Division office of the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Lao PDR. The meeting aimed to discuss the preparation of a book on freshwater fish profiles and fisheries activities of Lao PDR.

On 18 – 22 March 2023, IFRDMD conducted a survey activity in Pelabuhan Ratu and Poso. The team conducted interviews and discussions with the fishers, installed fishing gear, measured water quality, and had the opportunity to see and participated together with the fishers in catching glass eel at the river mouth of the Cimandiri River and the Poso River estuary during the night.

On 17 May 2023, IFRDMD visited a glass eel shelter in the Southeast Asia Region in Pelabuhan Ratu and learned the process of packaging glass eels that will be sent to buyers to be cultivated in ponds.

On 18 May 2023, IFRDMD conducted an interview with fishers of eel fisheries in the Cikaso River to find out the concern of fishers as actors of capture fisheries towards the sustainability of eel fisheries in Pelabuhan Ratu.

On 19 May 2023, IFRDMD conducted interviews with fishers of eel fishery in Cimandiri River. The interview was to find out the concern of fishers of capture fisheries towards the sustainability of eel fisheries in Pelabuhan Ratu, Indonesia. In addition, an eel collector was also interviewed to gather the problems of eel fisheries in his working area, as well as his views on the current management and utilisation of eel fisheries.

On 21 May 2023, IFRDMD team and the fishers continued the data collection of anguillid eel in the Poso River mouth, Central Sulawesi. The fishing gears deployed in some areas were checked and the water quality of the Poso waters was measured.

On 20 – 23 May 2023, the SEAFDEC/IFRDMD team and the fishers continued the data collection of anguillid eel in the Poso river, Central Sulawesi. The team also got the opportunity to meet with the eel collector and supplier.