A two-day Roundtable Conference was held at the Treaty Room, Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) from 1-2 July 2013 on Strengthening Regional Integration in ASEAN through multi-channel Dialogue. It was directed by the Foreign Policy Study Group (FPSG), with Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) and IDFR as joint organisers.
Tan Sri Razali Ismail, Chairman of FPSG commenced the session with his welcoming remarks, followed by the Director General of IDFR, Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari. The Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia, YM Tengku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen then delivered his opening speech.
The conference was based on three themes – Role of Non-State Actors in fostering greater ASEAN Integration, Towards ASEAN Community in socio-economic and cultural terms, and strengthening regional integration beyond formal diplomacy through linkages at youth, press and media and civil society levels. In relations to these, speakers from all 10 member states of ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia), and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan, presented their arguments, proposed ideas, and findings.
The two-day Roundtable Conference concluded with the closing remarks from FPSG’s Chairman.
Reported by: Syahrul Nizzam Nordin
Intern from University of Tun Abdul Razak
Academic Studies, Research, and Publication Division
