ASEAN Foundation Executive Director Dr. Makarim Wibisono discussed about the preparations for the Forum when receiving a visit from Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia Paulo Alberto Da Silveira Soares at the ASEAN Foundation recently.
In the meeting, Ambassador Soares said that the Forum were expected to help flourish ASEAN and Latin American business activities, especially on trade and investment.
He hoped to see seminars, workshops and activities between ASEAN and Latin American business stakeholders to happen in 2012 in areas not only in the business sector but also transfer of knowledge on issues on environment, food safety and renewable resources.
Dr. Makarim Wibisono concurred to the idea of realizing the commitments that will transpire during the Forum into concrete actions to develop trade and business in ASEAN and Latin America as well as activities that will help solve global problems for both regions.
He reiterated ASEAN Foundation`s commitment to support ASEAN community building by promoting greater awareness of ASEAN, people-to-people interaction, and close collaboration among the business sector, civil society, academia and other stakeholders on ASEAN.
Both Dr. Makarim Wibisono and Ambassador Soares believed that the Forum will pave the way for a more promising and outward looking partnership between ASEAN and Latin America.
The Forum is the last leg of a three-part project of the ASEAN Foundation partnering with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) which was officiated in 2009.
The project is intended to promote the transfer of knowledge between Southeast Asia and Latin American countries on trade and investment and enhance collaboration between the two regions through inter-regional partnership and linkages.
It specifically aims to raise awareness on trade and investment potentials through exchange of knowledge and to encourage resource mobilization to support new initiatives addressing critical needs in enhancing economic ties between the two regions.
The first workshop on Prospects of Economic Relations between Southeast Asia and Latin America was held on 12 October 2009 in Jakarta, and the second workshop has been modified and expanded into a bigger conference entitled ASEAN-Latin Business Forum 2010, held on 18 November 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand.
(Tz.F001/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
