ASEAN, Chile hold first meeting as development partners

JAKARTA, 3 February 2020 – ASEAN and Chile held their first development partnership committee meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat on 31 January, marking the start of a formal partnership to bolster ties between the two regions.

The ASEAN-Chile Development Partnership Committee (ACDPC) was established after the ASEAN foreign ministers affirmed Chile’s development partner status in June last year. It serves as a platform to explore practical cooperation between ASEAN and Chile, and is expected to support ASEAN’s community building efforts.

During the meeting, officials from both sides exchanged views on the recent developments in ASEAN and Chile. They deliberated on strengthening cooperation in key areas such as transnational crime, maritime cooperation, trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, education and provision of scholarship programs, among others. The ACDPC’s terms of reference were also adopted at the meeting.

Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community Aladdin D. Rillo and Ambassador of Chile to ASEAN Gustavo Ayares Ossandon co-chaired the meeting, which was attended by the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, officials from Chile Embassy in Jakarta and representatives of the Chile Ministry of Foreign Affairs.