Statement by Finance Minister KATO Katsunobu on Election of Mr. Watanabe as the next AMRO director

April 8, 2025

Statement by Mr. Katsunobu KATO, Minister of Finance, Japan

1. Mr. Yasuto WATANABE was selected as the next Director of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) at the ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today.

2. Mr. Watanabe has assumed key roles such as Director General of Budget, Personnel, and Management Systems at Asian Development Bank, and Deputy Director in charge of strategy at AMRO. He possesses extensive expertise and hands-on experience in regional financial cooperation and the management of international organizations. I am confident that his expertise and experience will strengthen AMRO’s capacity in conducting macroeconomic surveillance in the region and supporting the operations of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM).

3. I expect AMRO, under the leadership of Mr. Watanabe, to further strengthen its vital role in ensuring macroeconomic and financial stability in the ASEAN+3 region.