JAKARTA, 18 February 2025 – Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Satvinder Singh underscored the enduring relevance of ASEAN centrality at the Indonesia Economic Summit 2025. Amidst rising geopolitical tensions, he emphasised ASEAN’s crucial role in fostering a resilient, rules-based multilateral trading system.
ASEAN remains one of the world’s top destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI), ranking second globally after the United States. The region’s economic integration efforts continue to drive its competitiveness, highlighted by the successful implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), and ongoing negotiations for the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). These initiatives reinforce ASEAN’s position as a key player in global trade and investment.
The panel also featured distinguished speakers, including Tetsuya Watanabe, President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA); Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs (2009–2014); Tan Sri Nazir Razak, Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council 2025; and Bilahari Kausikan, Honorary Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS). Their discussions provided insights into ASEAN’s evolving economic landscape and strategic priorities in an increasingly complex global environment.
