23.07.2026

FOIP at its 10th Anniversary: Strengthening FOIP–AOIP Synergies

The JIIA Center for Global Outreach (CGO) was honored to co-host the symposium “Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Jakarta on 9 July 2026.

The symposium could not have been more timely, coming just two months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi unveiled the Updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) in Vietnam on 2 May. Bringing together leading experts from across the Indo-Pacific, the event featured a lively panel discussion and an engaging Q&A session, reflecting strong interest in enhancing regional cooperation amid profound geopolitical change.

The symposium opened with a keynote address by H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, who emphasized that ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) share a common commitment to an open, inclusive, rules-based, and peaceful Indo-Pacific. He noted that the two frameworks offer tremendous potential for deeper synergies in the years ahead.

Opening remarks were then delivered by Mr. Shingo Miyamoto, Director-General for Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who underscored the importance of Japan and ASEAN working together as trusted partners to build a more resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific. He also highlighted the growing convergence between FOIP and AOIP and the expanding opportunities for practical cooperation.

The panel discussion was moderated by Ambassador Takio Yamada, Executive Director of the JIIA Center for Global Outreach (CGO), and featured distinguished experts who have played leading roles in shaping and advancing FOIP and AOIP:

H.E. Amb. Dr. Siswo Pramono, Ambassador of Indonesia to Australia and Vanuatu;
H.E. Dr. Chheang Vannarith, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Assembly of Cambodia; and
Dr. Maria Monica Wihardja, Fellow and Co-Coordinator of the Media, Technology and Society Programme at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.

The discussion reflected on the origins and evolution of FOIP and AOIP and explored how the two initiatives can work together to strengthen regional resilience and promote shared prosperity in response to the increasingly complex strategic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.

As FOIP enters its second decade, participants agreed that the challenge is no longer simply to reaffirm its guiding principles, but to translate them into concrete cooperation and tangible outcomes together with ASEAN and other regional partners. The symposium reasserted the growing importance of strengthening FOIP–AOIP synergies as a foundation for an open, resilient, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The symposium agenda and programme are attached below.

Full remarks from Dr. Kao Kim Hourn