Jakarta (ANTARA) - Investment and trade, as the lifeblood of ASEAN countries' economies, should be managed jointly to create prosperity, said Chairman of the ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Arsjad Rasjid on Saturday."ASEAN must realize the power and investment potential that it has to bolster ASEAN's position as a global investment paradise," Rasjid noted at the opening of the 2023 ASEAN Investment Forum (AIF) in Jakarta, a side event of the upcoming 43rd ASEAN Summit. He remarked that the ASEAN region has promising investment potential and opportunities in agriculture and food, the digital economy, private and public health, electric vehicles, the carbon market, and a regional QR payment system. The potential and opportunities have made ASEAN a target of foreign direct investment (FDI), which has shown a significant increase in recent years. In 2010, FDI in ASEAN was only around US$23 billion, and then it rose drastically to US$47 billion in 2021. "Apart from its investment potential, Southeast Asia also has the advantage of abundant natural energy resources to meet global energy demand," he remarked.

Source: Antara News Agency