The future of ASEAN Connectivity, now and beyond 2025

The future of ASEAN Connectivity, now and beyond 2025

- 'ASEAN Expanded Connectivity Forum' to be held in celebration of the 10th anniversary of ASEAN Connectivity Forum (Dec.8) -

- Forum to present connectivity initiatives of ASEAN Dialogue Partners and projects of ASEAN Member States, and provide opportunities for online business meetings -

ASEAN-Korea Centre (Secretary General Kim Hae-yong) will co-organize the 'ASEAN Expanded Connectivity Forum' at The Westin Josun Seoul with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea on December 8. As the only forum that focuses on ASEAN Connectivity* in Korea, the event has been held for 9 consecutive years since 2013 and will mark its 10th anniversary this year. This year, the Forum is held under the theme of 'Advancing ASEAN Connectivity through Partnerships among ASEAN Dialogue Partners' and will invite experts from the government, private sector, and academia of ASEAN as well as its dialogue partners, including Korea, to discuss the progress and future of ASEAN Connectivity.

* The 'Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025' was established in 2010 to bring the ASEAN economic community together into a single market and production base. Its five strategic areas are: 1) Sustainable Infrastructure; 2) Digital Innovation; 3) Seamless Logistics; 4) Regulatory Excellence; and 5) People Mobility for ASEAN Integration.

The Forum will be conducted in an offline format for the first time in two years since the pandemic and will take place in the order of Opening Ceremony, Keynote Speech, ASEAN-Korea Expert Session, ASEAN Dialogue Partners Session, ASEAN Connectivity Project Presentation by each ASEAN Member States and followed by online business meetings. In the Opening Ceremony, Secretary General Kim Hae-yong of ASEAN-Korea Centre will deliver his Opening Remarks, followed by Welcome Remarks by Deputy Minister Choi Youngsam for Political Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Congratulatory Remarks by Ambassador of Cambodia (Chair of ASEAN Committee in Seoul).

Senior Advisor Scot Marciel* of the U.S. BowerGroupAsia, will deliver the Keynote Speech highlighting the challenges ASEAN is facing amid changing global environment, as well as opportunities for Korea in strengthening ASEAN Connectivity.

*H.E. Scot Marciel also served as the former Ambassador of U.S. to ASEAN and Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific at the U.S. State Department.

The first session (ASEAN-Korea Expert Session) will be moderated by H.E. Lim Sung-nam, former Ambassador of ROK to ASEAN, and will discuss on the status of ASEAN Connectivity efforts and its future. The discussion will delve into the roles of Korea, public-private cooperation, and ASEAN-Korea partnership in enhancing ASEAN Connectivity. The ASEAN Dialogue Partners Session, led by Mr. Lim Chze Cheen, Director of the ASEAN Secretariat, will showcase the various connectivity initiatives of ASEAN dialogue partners (U.S, EU, Australia, Japan, and Korea) and seek for synergies among them. In the third session, government officials from each ASEAN Member States will present respective connectivity projects of different fields, such as energy, infrastructure, ICT, and telecommunications. The Forum will also be followed by a 2-week online business meeting platform between Korean companies interested in ASEAN connectivity projects with ASEAN officials, scheduled on December 12 to 18.

Secretary General Kim Hae-yong of the ASEAN-Korea Centre stated, "This Forum, which marks its 10th anniversary, is expected to further establish itself as a platform that will support ASEAN Connectivity initiatives including by redefining Korea's role in ASEAN Connectivity efforts and by raising greater awareness of such efforts, both here in Korea as well as abroad through its other dialogue partners."

For more details on the Forum, please visit the 10TH ASEAN Connectivity Website (https://acf.aseankorea.org).

Annex: Concept Note and Program Outline

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