Dr Sok Siphana will be presenting on Infrastructure Connectivity between Asia and Europe at the Boao Forum for Asia Paris Meeting in Paris France on 15 September.

As a non-government, non-profit organization, Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is the most prestigious and premier forum for leaders in government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share visions on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large. The Forum is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asia countries even closer to their development goals. Initiated in 1998 by Fidel V Ramos, former president of the Philippines, Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia, and Morihiro Hosokawa, former Prime Minister of Japan, Boao Forum for Asia was formally inaugurated in February 2001. Countries across the region have responded with strong support and great enthusiasm, and the world has listened attentively to the voice coming from a tiny, quiet and scenic island at the southernmost part of China – Boao, the permanent site of the Annual Conference of the Forum since 2002.

Discussion Topics

Infrastructure Connectivity

Infrastructure is the key to connectivity between Asia and Europe. Coordination at the strategy and policy level is the first step. How has the “Belt and Road” Imitative coordinated with European strategies as a whole and development plans of member states individually? Has good progress been made? What needs to be done further along the line?

Promoting Trade & Investment

Investment has been a drag on the world economy for quite a while, in particular Europe. Will the “Belt and Road” Initiative help spur a new wave of investment flow between Asia and Europe? Under the initiative, are there good measures to reduce investment barriers and increase investor protection?

EU has signed or is negotiating bilateral FTAs with a number of Asian economies. How will the Belt and Road Initiative help bring Europe-Asia trade to a new level?

Inclusive and Innovative Ways of Funding

Funding is a key challenge to the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Are there good solutions, through Asia and Europe working together, to provide long-term, stable and sustainable funding for the Initiative?

Asia has lagged behind Europe in traditional finance, but may lead in P2P lending and crowd-funding through the rising power of Fintech, such as cloud computing, big data, blockchain, etc.. How can such innovative and inclusive “new finance” help fund the Belt and Road Initiative and Asia-Europe connectivity?

For more information on this event, click here.