JAKARTA, 14 August 2024 – Following the conferment of the status of Development Partner of ASEAN on the Republic of Peru by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in January this year,  the First ASEAN-Peru Development Partnership Committee (AP-DPC) Meeting took place today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.

During the inaugural meeting, the two sides affirmed their commitment to promote the Development Partnership as well as exchanged views on ways to enhance the cooperation for mutual benefit. A number of areas for future cooperation were highlighted in the discussions. They include trade and investment, digitalisation, connectivity, MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), women empowerment and gender mainstreaming, disaster management and humanitarian assistance, sustainable agriculture and forestry, education, and preservation of cultural heritage.

Both sides also underlined the importance of exploring cooperation in a number of other areas such as sustainable tourism, advancement of climate action and mainstreaming biodiversity, promoting activities in culture and arts, South-South and Triangular Cooperation, and cooperation in the key areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Following the adoption of the Terms of Reference for the AP-DPC, both sides agreed to commence work on developing a  Practical Cooperation Areas (PCA) to serve as a work plan for engagement and cooperation for the next five years.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Ekkaphab Phanthavong and Ambassador of Peru to ASEAN Luis Tsuboyama, and attended by Members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and/or their representatives as well as staff of the ASEAN Secretariat. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.

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