MEDIA RELEASE

22 NOVEMBER 2007

Building an Asean Economic Community - Brick by Brick

On 23 November, the Asean Secretary-General will launch a new report on Asean economic integration in Singapore.

“Brick by Brick: the Building of an Asean Economic Community” offers key insights from highly respected academics and analysts from across the region into the challenges facing Asean as it strives to build the Asean Economic Community.

With a population of 576 million*, a gross domestic product of US$1.07 trillion, and total trade of US$1.44 trillion, Asean currently accounts for more than a quarter of Asia’s total trade and is set to become an economic powerhouse of the future. The book poses some important questions for Asean as it seeks to achieve greater integration and competitiveness, including: What are the implications of the goal of a single market? and How will integration affect the less developed members of Asean?

The report is the result of a collaboration between the Asean Secretariat, the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) and the Australian Government, through its Asean-Australia Development Cooperation Program. As one of Asean’s most important trade and investment partners, Australia has been a strong and consistent supporter of Asean’s economic development. Australia is proud to be working closely with our neighbours on these important issues.

Dr Hadi Soesastro, Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, says, “The Asean economic community is a major project. Its realisation will radically change the region’s economic and political landscape. The challenges are equally great. To overcome them requires the ‘brick-by-brick’ approach as thoughtfully proposed in this volume.”

The launch of Brick by Brick will be held at ISEAS at 1000 hours on 23 November. Speakers at the launch will include HE Ong Keng Yong; Asean Secretary General; HE Mr Miles Kupa, Australian High Commissioner to Singapore; Dr Dennis Hew, ISEAS Senior Fellow and Editor, Brick By Brick; and Mr Rondolfo C Severino, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISEAS, and Former Secretary-General, Asean. Director of ISEAS, Ambassador K Kesavapany, will chair the panel session.

Copies of the book will be available at the launch, which will also be webcast on the ISEAS publications web site - http://bookshop.iseas.edu.org

* 2006 figures