FEC (Following The International Friendship and Economic Exchange Council (FEC)) Secretariat 
When
2026/05/29(Fri)
By the way
如水会館
Message
On May 29, FEC held a debriefing session at the Josuikai Hall for the 22nd FEC ASEAN delegation, which was dispatched from March 8 to 14. Attendees included Koji Motohashi, Chairman of the FEC Japan-ASEAN Cultural and Economic Committee (Senior Advisor, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.), Kenichi Watanabe, Chairman of FEC and advisor to the delegation, along with 11 other members of the delegation, Takashi Aoki, Regional Coordinator, Southern Asia Division, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other FEC members.
First, Chairman Matsuzawa expressed his gratitude, saying, "I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Embassies in Singapore and the Philippines, and all other related parties for their tremendous cooperation. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Motohashi for serving as the head of the delegation."
Guest of Honor Coordination Officer Aoki stated in his address, "Singapore and the Philippines are important partners for our country, and this visit is a very significant opportunity as we mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Singapore and the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations with the Philippines. Mutual understanding built not only through intergovernmental diplomacy but also through private diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges is an important foundation that supports bilateral relations."
Next, delegation leader Motohashi gave a report on the delegation's visit, stating, "In Singapore, we observed a growth strategy based on selection and concentration through collaboration between government, private sector, and academia. In the Philippines, we observed the current situation where high growth potential and challenges coexist. This reaffirmed the importance of seeing and hearing things directly on the ground. Building relationships with local governments, the Japanese Embassy, JETRO, etc., will be an important foundation for future business development. In addition to meetings at the visited locations, the exchange of opinions among members from diverse industries allowed us to gain perspectives and inspiration that we would not have obtained through individual visits." After a question-and-answer session, the debriefing session concluded. A disbandment ceremony was then held.