Initiative for ASEAN Integration Task Force holds 70th meeting

The Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force held its 70th meeting at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on May 25, with the participation of all member states and Timor-Leste who joined for the first time as an observer.

Participants in the 70th meeting of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Task Force pose for a photo. (Photo: asean.org)

Chaired by Permanent Representative of Laos to ASEAN Ambassador Bovonethat Douangchak, the meeting discussed the implementation of projects under the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025), final assessment of the Outcome Metrics of the previous Work Plan III, and the findings of the Follow-Up Monitor of the ASEAN Framework for Equitable Economic Development (AFEED).

Participants also accredited seven new IAI projects.

The IAI Task Force provides overall leadership and direction for the IAI and undertakes regular reviews to ensure effective implementation of the IAI Work Plan.

The IAI was launched by ASEAN countries in 2000 with a view to narrowing the development gap among member states and assisting the four latest members, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, to fully integrate into the regional economy.

Founded on August 8, 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam./.

VNA