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Director/CEO Yasuto Watanabe reaffirms commitment to strengthening regional resilience and financial cooperation amid growing global uncertainty
SINGAPORE, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AMRO commemorated its 10th anniversary as an international organization at the 29th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting held in Samarkand on May 3, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional resilience and financial cooperation amid an increasingly uncertain global environment.
In remarks delivered at the commemorative event, AMRO Director/CEO Yasuto Watanabe reflected on AMRO’s development since becoming an international organization in 2016.
"At that time, we had fewer than 40 staff and only a modest range of publications," Mr. Watanabe said. "Today, AMRO has grown to more than 120 staff, with its analytical and policy work supporting a broad range of regional priorities."
Mr. Watanabe noted that AMRO’s evolution has paralleled the transformation of ASEAN+3 over the past decade. He highlighted that the region has become more interconnected, with deeper integration and stronger regional demand, and now accounts for 28 percent of global final demand, making ASEAN+3 the world’s largest market.
At the same time, he cautioned that the region is navigating what he described as "changes unseen in a century," marked by heightened global uncertainty and growing structural challenges.
"In this environment, AMRO’s role is clear," he said. "We must identify risks early and provide timely, practical policy advice."
Mr. Watanabe highlighted AMRO’s continued efforts to strengthen the regional financial safety net through its support for the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), expand technical assistance to strengthen policymaking capacity across the region, and advance work in areas such as cross-border digital payments and financial connectivity in alignment with the updated ASEAN+3 Finance Process Strategic Direction.
"Yet one principle remains unchanged: resilience cannot be achieved alone," he said.
Looking ahead, Mr. Watanabe reaffirmed AMRO’s commitment to its core mandate.
"AMRO will remain steadfast in its mandate to deliver rigorous and independent surveillance, to support sound policymaking, and to strengthen regional financial cooperation," he said.
"Together with our members, we will continue building a more resilient and integrated ASEAN+3."
Watch AMRO’s 10th anniversary video here.
ASEAN+3 members commemorated AMRO’s 10th anniversary as an international organization at the 29th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on May 3, 2026.
About AMRO
AMRO is an international organization established to support macroeconomic and financial stability of the ASEAN+3 region, comprising members of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; and Korea. AMRO’s mandate is to conduct macroeconomic surveillance, support regional financial arrangements, and provide technical assistance to the members. AMRO also serves as a regional knowledge hub and provides support to ASEAN+3 financial cooperation.
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