Japan and ASEAN expand cooperation on development, energy and regional security

Japan and ASEAN foreign ministers met to deepen cooperation on energy security, online scams and other regional initiatives. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the combined GDP of the ASEAN‑plus‑three countries accounts for more than a quarter of the global economy, highlighting the grouping’s economic weight. He pledged Japan’s support for ASEAN centrality and alignment of its Free and Open Indo‑Pacific vision with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo‑Pacific.

Indonesia’s foreign minister, Sugiono, urged Japan and ASEAN members to increase concrete support for Palestine through the CEAPAD forum, emphasizing that “for Indonesia, Palestine is not merely a humanitarian issue. It is a matter of justice, dignity, and the right of the Palestinian people to rebuild their future.” He called for stronger use of regional frameworks such as AJCEP, RCEP and the ASEAN‑Japan partnership to aid Palestinian reconstruction and development.