Japan, ASEAN to Strengthen Cooperation on New Industries

Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Aug. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed at an economy ministers' meeting in the Myanmarese capital of Naypyitaw on Tuesday to strengthen their cooperation on new industries including healthcare and environmental businesses. The agreement comes as Japan and ASEAN are set to review their economic cooperation road map in late 2015, in line with the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community, or AEC, the same year. "We hope to advance Japan-ASEAN economic cooperation to a new stage," Japan's Toshimitsu Motegi told a press conference after the meeting. The ministers had talks based on proposals from the first-ever public-private dialogue on new industries between the two sides, which was held earlier Tuesday. The existing road map until 2022, adopted in 2012, lists ways to promote infrastructure development as well as trade and investment and nurture small businesses with the aim of doubling the annual value of trade between Japan and ASEAN from some 20 trillion yen over a decade. A similar ministerial meeting among Japan, China, South Korea and ASEAN was also held here on Tuesday. END