Jakarta, 22 April 2026: ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Ma. Theresa ‘Tess’ Lazaro, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, during her official visit to Jakarta.

Secretary Lazaro expressed appreciation for ERIA’s continued support for the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship in 2026 and welcomed further policy inputs from the institute on key issues affecting regional resilience.

President Watanabe thanked the Philippines for its trust in ERIA and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the country’s priorities, particularly in navigating an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Both sides discussed Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent intervention at the Asia Zero Emission Community Summit, which called on ERIA to undertake a regional study on joint oil stockpiling arrangements. They also explored avenues to further strengthen collaboration between ERIA and the Philippines.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on regional and global challenges, including energy security and broader economic resilience.