UKABC's Inaugural Meeting with the ASEAN London Committee (ALC)
Fresh from leading a delegation alongside TheCityUK to present to ASEAN Deputy Finance Ministers and Bank Governors in Manila, UK ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) held its inaugural meeting this week with the ASEAN London Committee (ALC) — the body comprising the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of all eleven ASEAN member states based in London.
The ALC is currently chaired by Her Excellency Tuot Panha, Cambodian Ambassador to the UK, whose leadership, warmth, and diplomatic acumen set exactly the right tone for what proved to be a genuinely substantive and productive gathering.
At the ALC's request, we were pleased to welcome a small number of our partner companies to this inaugural session, with a rolling cohort to be invited to future meetings.
The discussions that followed were wide-ranging and — crucially — action-oriented. Concrete commitments were made to:
Sharpen coordination on visits and events, and move from ad hoc engagement to a structured, sustained cadence — supported by working-level coordination and shared forward calendars.
Jointly raise the profile of ASEAN across the UK, while strengthening the visibility of UK business across the region — in alignment with the UK's ASEAN Dialogue Partnership and CPTPP engagement.
Focus on priority themes for deeper collaboration: energy transition and the green economy, AI governance, supply-chain resilience, education and skills, people-to-people links, and tourism.
Embrace the value of deep-dives — with endorsement for "spotlight" sessions on specific companies and initiatives, including the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
Deepen ministerial and Trade Envoy engagement on both sides, with a clear emphasis on business input and tangible commercial outcomes.
We are grateful to our long-standing partner ACCA for so generously hosting the meeting, and to Lord Vaizey for co-chairing the conversation with such skill. As the photographs confirm, the turnout was exceptional — all ASEAN nations were represented around the table.
Trust, mutual respect, and credibility are the foundation of our relationship with the ALC. UKABC and our members are most honoured to be able to build a deeper link through our upcoming plans with the committee. We look forward to shaping our partnership forward and engage our members on it.
Our thanks to ACCA, HSBC, Pearson, The Premier League, and Mott MacDonald for joining us.
