IBC Meets Japan’s Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Discuss Regional Energy Resilience

The Indonesian Business Council (IBC) paid a courtesy visit to Japan’s former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Saito Ken, Koichi Hagiuda, and members of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Parliamentary League in Tokyo.

The meeting provided a platform for deeper consultation on the implementation of recent commitments made by ASEAN Leaders, as well as Japan’s proposal to further strengthen and expand the AZEC framework. Discussions also covered the POWERR Asia initiative, which aims to support Southeast Asian countries in addressing growing energy security challenges while advancing a sustainable energy transition.

The engagement reflected the private sector’s strong interest in supporting concrete regional energy cooperation. In particular, the discussion highlighted the importance of establishing a regional fuel stockpiling mechanism to strengthen energy resilience and strategic reserves across ASEAN amid rising geopolitical and supply-chain uncertainties.

To advance this agenda, IBC will collaborate with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), a leading regional policy research institution, to establish a business-led platform that supports the development and implementation of the regional fuel stockpiling initiative. The platform is expected to bring together key stakeholders from industry, government, and research institutions to foster practical cooperation and strengthen regional energy security.

IBC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting collaborative initiatives between ASEAN and Japan that promote energy security, economic resilience, and a pragmatic energy transition. Through stronger public-private collaboration, ASEAN and Japan can move from policy commitment toward concrete implementation that supports long-term regional stability and growth.