FSI Deputy Director-General Julio S. Amador III attended a track 1.5 forum organized by the Myanmar Institute for Strategic and International Studies in cooperation with the Center for the Study of Grand Strategy of Chung-Ang University of South Korea. The forum, which was held in Yangon on 27-28 November 2014 had the theme “Positive Roles of ASEAN and ROK as Middle Powers for an East Asian Community.”

The purpose of the forum was to examine the roles of the ROK and ASEAN as middle powers and to elicit policy recommendations for future action by ASEAN-ROK. DDG Amador emphasized during the forum that ASEAN’s aim of being the driving force of regional architecture- and community-building in East Asia and the ROK’s vision of itself as a responsible middle power that actively contributes to maintain peace and stability of the international community are not mutually exclusive but complementary.

He also suggested four areas of functional cooperation that should be prioritized. These are maritime security, non-proliferation, disaster risk reduction and management, and cyber security. Continued cooperation between ASEAN and the ROK in these areas will go a long way in the achievement of the goals of the strategic partnership.

Academics and government officials from ASEAN member-states and the Republic of Korea attended the forum.