The former prime minister, who is also the leader of opposition and
the head of the Democrat Party, shared his experience about ASEAN and
the significance of connectivity, governance and government, increasing
demands of infrastructure, management of urban growth, environmental
protection, along with the need to harmonize rules and regulation to
foster trade.
Mr. Michael Schuman, of the magazine “Time”, who was a guest speaker
at the event, highlighted examples of dealing with governance issues,
particularly in China. He narrated how exports had stimulated growth in
the region, and the role played by private business houses in
generating jobs. According to him, pragmatism prevailed over ideology,
and quoted an interview he had conducted with Singapore’s leader Lee
Kwan Yew to highlight this. Mentioning stories of Asian triumph, he
remarked that free enterprise and free trade do not always help the
United States in its trade policy.
The Governance Asia initiative of GIZ is a regional professional
network that enables GIZ experts to share information and experience in
the field of governance and democracy. It covers partner countries in
South Asia, South-East and East Asia. This sector network aims at
assuring and improving the effectiveness and quality of GIZ’s
cooperation in Asia. The conference was attended by more than 120 GIZ
experts from all across Asia.
