The 2nd Annual Conference of NEAT

Prof. ITO Kenichi, President & CEO, JFIR delivered a speech at the Welcome Dinner. Welcome Dinner Speech by Prof. ITO

The 2nd Annual Conference of NEAT was held in Bangkok, Thailand on August 16-17, 2004 under the sponsorship of the Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University (NEAT Country Coordinator of Thailand). About 80 think-tank representatives and intellectuals from 12 countries (the Philippines absent) participated. The participants from Japan were: Prof. ITO Kenichi, President & CEO of JFIR, Prof. INOGUCHI Takashi, Professor of the University of Tokyo, Prof. UTARA Shujiro, Professor of Waseda University, Dr. JIMBO Ken, Senior Research Fellow of JFIR, Prof. TANAKA Akihiko, Professor of the University of Tokyo, Mr. HIRATSUKA Daisuke, Director of APEC Study Center and Director of Regional Integration Group, Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO, Prof. HIRONO Ryokichi, Professor Emeritus of Seikei University, Dr. YOSHITOMI Masaru, President & Chief Research Officer of Research Institute of Economy, Trade Industry, and (as an observer) Mr. YAMADA Takio, Director of Regional Policy Division, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The lively discussions were conducted in all 5 sessions: "Towards an East Asian Community", "Economic Cooperation", "Political and Security Cooperation", "Socio?Cultural Cooperation", and "Institutionalization". With regard to the process towards an East Asian Community, the Annual Conference valued highly the achievements and experiences of regional integration that the ASEAN has shown until today. It was pointed out that an approach of functional cooperation in each field is effective, and cooperation of "deepening" should be promoted rather than rapid "widening" of its geographic scope.

The 2nd Annual Conference

"The Basic Rules and Framework of the Network of East Asian Think-tanks" was adopted at the Conference, which stipulated that the gCountry Coordinators' Meeting" should be a supreme decision-making body and that the Country Coordinator holding the next Annual Conference should play a role of the secretariat for that Annual Conference.

At the Welcome Dinner held on August 16, 2004, Prof. ITO Kenichi, President & CEO of JFIR made a speech that "In order to build an East Asian Community, we need to share a 'common value' that goes beyond a 'common interest' and to establish a 'no-war community' just as the EU achieved it in Europe".