AIT president delivers talk at ASEAN Leadership Forum

AIT President Said Irandoust has suggested that the present global
economic crisis offers an opportunity to start a transition toward a
climate-resilient and low-carbon economy in Southeast Asia. He was
delivering a speech at the 6th ASEAN Leadership Forum "ASEAN after the
Global Economic Crisis: Rebuilding Economies, Regenerating Growth" on
the session pertaining to "Energy, Environment & Climate Change:
Impact on Southeast Asia and Implications for Business and
Companies".

The AIT President recommended a five pronged strategy for South East
Asia, namely:

The event was co-organized by the ASEAN Affairs Magazine and the Asian
Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) based in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. The ASEAN Leadership Forum brings together key stakeholders
in ASEAN's Future Government, Business, Civil Society and Academia to
discuss the key leadership challenges facing ASEAN. These Public Forums
have stimulated interactive discussions on the future and relevance of
ASEAN and what ASEAN means to the people of Southeast Asia. Past Forums
have included Special Sessions with women and young leaders, business
leaders and thought leaders.

The keynote address was delivered by the Prime Minister of Thailand
H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, who spoke extensively on the importance of
Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) which is also very much attuned to
what AIT is also considering. The Prime Minister noted that the
willingness of government and the private sector to work together is
key to rebuilding Southeast Asia's economy. "We need to rebuild and
strengthen our economies as well as regenerate sustainable growth and
development. ASEAN is well-placed to do this, but it will have to be a
collective effort on the part of governments and all sectors of
society. The private sector in particular has an important role to
play", the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister further added that
with a population of more than 500 million people, a regional economy
of US$1.51 trillion and regional combined trade worth US$1.70 trillion,
ASEAN will be a market to watch.
The Forum took stock of the critical issues facing ASEAN after the
global economic crisis, apart from evaluating the strategic challenges
ahead. It also worked towards creating a consensus on what needs to be
done and sought to identify emerging business and investment
opportunities.

The AIT President highlighted some of the challenges facing the region
apart from the role of institutions of higher learning and the
corporate sector. “In Southeast Asia, fiscal stimulus is also being
used by many countries, including Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and
Singapore, to support domestic demand through tax cuts, investment in
infrastructure, and increasing spending on social programs. There may
be scope for building into such stimulus packages “green investment”
programs that combine adaptation and mitigation measures with efforts
to shore up the economy, create jobs, and reduce poverty”, the AIT
President added. The president’s presentation is available at the below
link:

https://oldweb.ait.ac.th/administration/presidents-office/working-papers/6thASEANLeadershipForumSIRevisedVersionSummary_.pdf

At the forum, AIT President met with Mr. Swarup Roy, Founder and Chief
Executive Officer of the ASEANAFFAIRS, who is a good friend of AIT.

Ms. Pissawan Achanapornkul, Country Chair, Thailand & Cluster
Country Chair, Mekong, The Shell Company of Thailand and Mr. Karl-Peter
Schoenfisch, Director, Regional Representative Office Singapore, Hanns
Seidel Foundation were the other speakers under the President's session
with Mr. Stuart Dean, President, GE Southeast Asia acting as the
moderator. The concluding address was delivered by H.E. Mr. Suwit
Kunkitti, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment,
Thailand.

The event received a lot of media coverage, and a few links are
provided below:

http://www.aseanaffairs.com/asean_leadership_forum_2009

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/18802/abhisit-backs-asean-single-market-plan

http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200906/1245578642.html