Southeast Asia consists of some of the countries that have reported greater economic growth in recent decades, showing progress in their major macroeconomic variables and the social development of their peoples.

Over the past 20 years, Southeast Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean have made some quite successful attempts to establish and strengthen economic and trade relations well beyond existing multilateral agreements. However, the potential for both regions to increase their ties has not been sufficiently exploited, at least not in the way it has been done with China and Japan.

In addition, SELA has prepared studies and activities on individual countries in the East Asian area but not on the region as a whole. Therefore, the Work Programme of the Permanent Secretariat of SELA for the year 2012 includes Activity III.1.4 “Analysis and preparation of policy proposals to promote the economic relations between LAC and the emerging countries in Southeast Asia,” according to Decision No. 521 of the XXVII Latin American Council, held in October 2011.

In compliance with this mandate, the Permanent Secretariat is convening the Regional Seminar on economic relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and Southeast Asian countries, to be held on 19 July at the headquarters of SELA. In order to support the exchange of ideas and proposals, the Permanent Secretariat presents the document “A new boost for relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and Southeast Asian countries” (SP/SRREALCPSA/DT N° 2-12).