Asia Regional Integration Center

London (UK): Anthem Press for the Asian Development Bank Book Launch Tuesday, 22 September 2009, 12:00-1:00 pm, Knowledge Hub (ADB Library), ADB Headquarters Amidst Asia’s economic rebound, regional integration is gathering momentum. This book examines the diverse experience in regional integration of South and East Asian economies during the last two decades and offers lessons for latecomers. East and South Asia include the world’s largest and most dynamic open economies alongside several least developed countries. The eight cases --five from South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) and three from East Asia (People’s Republic of China, Singapore, and Thailand)-- suggest that deep regional integration is associated with effective national strategies. Listen to podcast. Register with Susan Monteagudo at smonteagudo@adb.org or call 632-4444. Read also Pan-Asian Integration: Linking East and South Asia.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for Asian and European policymakers and academia to examine how the structure of growth in Asia and Europe will change in the aftermath of global recession and financial reforms, and the policy challenges that lie ahead. Participation is by invitation only. Representatives from Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) finance ministries, central banks, multilateral and academic institutions, think-tanks, businesses, and the media have been invited. See program.

Thirty mid-level DMC officials and staff from the ASEAN Secretariat are attending a five-day training course on trade and investment integration policies with a special focus on designing and negotiating free trade agreements. WTO is holding special sessions on the Doha Development Agenda and trade policy. See program.

Iwan Azis, professor and director of Graduate Study in Regional Science, Cornell University, discusses how understanding the intangible sources of policy conflicts can be a key to improving regional cooperation. Confirm participation with Liza Cruz at mlscruz@adb.org.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda will give the keynote speech at this joint ADB/ADBI conference, the latest in a number of conferences related to the current global financial crisis and economic downturn. Speakers will analyze the implications of the crisis on structural and institutional policy responses in Asia at the national and regional levels. See agenda. Confirm with Jessaine Sugui at jsugui@adb.org.

The CAREC Institute website offers a new hub of information and knowledge on regional economic cooperation in Central Asia. The site, which is available in Russian and English, contains searchable databases on CAREC’s projects, events, studies and research particularly in the areas of transport, energy and trade. Country pages for each CAREC member country are also provided. Visit the site.

Speaking at a seminar in ADB, Indonesia's Minister of Trade Mari Elka Pangestu emphasized multilateral approaches to enhance trade in Asia and the Pacific. Underlining the significance of ADB's role, the Minister suggested building a network of international economic policy experts and scholars in Asia to promote trade. ADB's Managing Director General Rajat M. Nag, who delivered the welcome remarks, affirmed the importance of such a network given the enormous challenges affecting trade in the region.  Iwan J. Azis, head of ADB's Office of Regional Economic Integration, gave the closing remarks. Download original speech. See video clip.  Listen to full audio.

S. Hamanaka discusses two possible approaches in achieving a region-wide free trade agreement, that of consolidation and expansion. He also proposes four issues for consideration by Trans-Pacific Partnership members for the agreement to evolve into a true region-wide FTA. Visit AIEN's Trade Spotlight blog and read full story. | View other blogs on AIEN Trade Spotlight