ERIA Welcomes Timor-Leste at 19th Governing Board Meeting, Reinforces Think-and-Do Tank Mission

Jakarta, 23 June 2026: ERIA held its 19th Governing Board Meeting on 23 June 2026 at the ASEAN Secretariat, bringing together representatives from its member countries to discuss the region's evolving economic landscape and ERIA's strategic priorities amidst growing geopolitical uncertainty, economic fragmentation, and energy security challenges.

As ERIA's highest decision-making BoDy, the Governing Board comprises the ASEAN Secretary-General and representatives from ERIA's 17 member countries. The Board oversees the institute's management and approves its strategic direction and operations.

Welcoming Timor-Leste and New Governing Board Members

A key milestone of the meeting was the Governing Board's approval of Timor-Leste's admission as ERIA's newest member, following the country's accession as ASEAN's 11th Member State in October 2025.

The meeting also welcomed five new Governing Board members:

• H.E. U Thant Sin Lwin, Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, Myanmar;
• H.E. Dr Kirida Bhaopichitr, Vice Minister for Commerce, Thailand;
• Mr Ravi Kewalram, First Assistant Secretary, Free Trade Agreements and Stakeholder Engagement Division, Australia;
• Mr Masakazu Tokura, former Chairman of the Japan Business Federation; and
• Prof. Indranil Sen Gupta, Professor of Practice of Economics, Shiv Nadar University, India.

Strengthening Regional Resilience as a Think-and-Do Tank

The meeting took place against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, including recent developments in the Middle East and disruptions to global energy supply chains.

In his opening remarks, ERIA President Mr Tetsuya Watanabe highlighted ERIA's onGoIng study on regional oil stockpiling, launched in response to discussions at the recent ASEAN Summit in Cebu. Over the past 2 months, ERIA has presented its proposed framework to the Joint ASEAN Foreign Ministers' and Economic Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Economic Coordinating Council.

'Over the years, we have moved beyond the role of a traditional think tank, ' President Watanabe said, emphasising ERIA's evolution into a 'think-and-do tank' that combines high-quality policy research with implementation support, capacity building, and practical regional initiatives.

Looking ahead, he noted that ERIA will further strengthen its work on frontier technologies, strategic supply chains, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy security, and climate resilience in support of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045

In his keynote address, H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, highlighted three areas in which ERIA's work will be increasingly important: strengthening ASEAN's resilience, providing rigorous policy analysis, and reinforcing ERIA's role as a strategic regional institution.

Dr Kao observed that policymakers are navigating a 'substantially reordered' global environment characterised by geoeconomic fragmentation, strategic competition, artificial intelligence, and the green transition.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the Cebu Summit, he noted that ASEAN is prioritising six areas of crisis preparedness: co-ordination, energy security, financial resilience, food security, trade continuity, and citizen safety.

He encouraged ERIA to continue providing analytical support for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, including research on critical minerals, AI governance, and major regional trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Dr Kao also announced that ASEAN and ERIA are preparing a new Memorandum of Understanding to further strengthen their long-standing partnership.

Operational Updates and Strategic Priorities

ERIA Chief Operating Officer Dr Takayuki Yamanaka presented the institute's activities and outreach over the past year, together with the FY2025 Financial Statement and the FY2026 Budget Proposal, both of which were unaniMoUsly approved by the Governing Board.

Senior ERIA researchers also provided updates on their respective programmes and future work plans, including Dr Aladdin D. Rillo, Managing Director for Policy Design and Operations; Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Director of Energy Policy and Head of the Asia Zero Emission Center; and Prof. Nobuhiro Aizawa, Dean and Managing Director of the ERIA School of Government.

The Governing Board also approved the appointment of eight members to the Academic Advisory Council (AAC), which provides strategic guidance to strengthen the quality and impact of ERIA's research and policy work. The members are:

• Dr Muhammad Chatib Basri (Indonesia);
• Prof. Peter Drysdale (Australia);
• Prof. Shiro Armstrong (Australia);
• H.E. Shri Suman Bery (India);
• Prof. Makoto Gonokami (Japan);
• H.E. Dr Arsenio Balisacan (the Philippines);
• Prof. Young-Sup Joo (Republic of Korea); and
• Dr Porametee Vimolsiri (Thailand).

Advancing Regional Integration Through Collective Action

Chairperson Mr Ramon M. Lopez called for deeper regional integration and stronger collective resilience in response to growing global uncertainty, while highlighting the important role of the private sector in supporting ASEAN's long-term development.

Governing Board members commended ERIA's continued provision of timely, high-quality research and policy support, recognising its important contribution to advancing sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the region.

In the afternoon session, ambassadors and representatives of ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners based in Jakarta joined ERIA experts for a strategic dialogue. Senior Policy Fellow Ms Anna Robeniol presented ERIA's support for the Philippines' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, highlighting the institute's contributions to priorities including supply chain resilience, digital transformation, and inclusive growth.

Throughout the meeting, participants exchanged views on regional economic developments and reaffirmed the importance of close collaboration in addressing emerging challenges while advancing ASEAN's long-term integration and resilience.