Asia Policy Research Company Limited (APR) provides innovative policy research and consulting services to assist countries in their economic, industrial, and social development. APR works closely with governments throughout the region and with major international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations (UN), and the World Bank on designing and implementing projects to enhance strategies and policies for enhanced regional economic cooperation.

The overall rationale for regional cooperation is that greater benefits can be obtained through regional cooperation than would be possible through independent actions of states. In theory, regional economic cooperation generates economic growth by making maximum use of the inherent but under-utilized economic potential in the proposed development area. The rationale for such cooperation is predicated on the assumption that natural complementarities, such as labor, natural resources, finance capital, and technology are distributed irrespective of national boundaries, and by means of transnational cooperation they can be utilized in the most efficient way possible. 

We at APR position ourselves at the forefront of policy research in regional economic cooperation. APR's principals have a long and successful track record in Asia and Africa on regional cooperation. We aim to implement action-oriented, long-term solutions that will enable the participating countries to maximize their development potential. We have worked on most of the regional cooperation initiatives in Asia, including: the Greater Mekong Subregion; the Tumen River Economic Development Area; the Central Asia Region Economic Cooperation Program; the Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation; the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle; the Brunei- Indonesia- Malaysia- Philippines East-Asia Growth Area; and others.

APR provides a range of services relating to regional poverty alleviation, business sector cooperation, trade and investment facilitation, and other aspects of regional economic development through advisory assistance to subregional arrangements, research activities, and strategic development frameworks.

ADB's Strategic Approach to Regional Cooperation in Asia-Pacific: Prepared a strategic approach to regional cooperation in response to the rapid changes in the international system and throughout Asia-Pacific to position the Asian Development Bank (ADB) both to support existing regional cooperation initiatives and to be prepared to facilitate new forms of regional cooperation in the near future. The study identified key lessons learned and likely trends of regional cooperation in Asia-Pacific. Also, prepared strategic options for ADB's approach to regional cooperation, including cross-regional integration.

CAREC Business Development Forum: Assisted the Asian Development Bank in preparing the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Business Development Forum (BDF), held in October 2006. Key tasks included developing the concept paper for the BDF; identifying private and public sector speakers from the Central Asian countries; preparing background papers on regional energy, mining, agro-business, and tourism; and developing a strategic action plan for future development of the BDF.

Regional Business Roundtable in Central and South Asia: Involved in conceptualizing, designing, and preparing the Regional Business Roundtable (RBR). The RBR is designed to stimulate a greater role for the business sector in regional cooperation programs in Central and South Asia, and to utilize regional cooperation efforts to create business opportunities in the participating countries.

Tumen River Investor Services Centers: Project involved institutional set-up and preparation of investment promotion strategies for local level investment promotion agencies in the Tumen River Region of Northeast Asia.  Components of the project included (i) delivery of a five-day training course on "Investment Promotion Strategy Formulation, Implementation and Investment Promotion Techniques"; (ii) providing advice/guidance to national or local investment promotion agencies and Tumen River Investor Services (TRIS) Center staff on the daily operations of an investment promotion agency; (iii) formulation of an investment promotion strategy for the respective locations; and (iv) preparation of business plans for three TRIS Centers. The assignment covered the TRIS Centers in Ulanbaataar, Mongolia, Primorsky Territory, Russia, and Yanbian Prefecture, China.

Tumen River Economic Development Area (TREDA) Advocacy Workshop 2000: Prepared an analytical background report entitled "Lessons from the East Asian REDAs and a Framework for Competitiveness" for the Tumen River Economic Development Area, which involves China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and the Russian Federation.  The paper focused on the rationale behind Regional Economic Development Areas (REDAs), the experiences and lessons learned from the various East Asian and Southeast Asian REDAs and Growth Triangles, determinants of investment, and advocated a micro-economic competitiveness framework for developing the Tumen River Area.  In addition to the study, made a presentation on "Implications of the Experiences of East Asian REDAs for TREDA" at the workshop.

Economic and Social Development and Regional Cooperation in Southeast Asia: Prepared a study that examined the recent economic and social developments that are relevant to growth and poverty reduction from regional cooperation perspectives in Southeast Asia.  The report served as a background study to provide inputs to policy dialogue and consensus building during the preparation of Asian Development Bank's Regional Cooperation Strategy and Program covering Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Technical Support Facility for Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC): Conducted a study to examine the feasibility of and options for establishing a technical support facility (TSF) for the regional economic cooperation grouping BIMST-EC and establishing a permanent secretariat in the future. Several secretariats or similar backstop bodies for various subregional cooperation arrangements from around the world were examined in terms of their structures, functions, and processes to help identify potential "best practices" and possible models for the BIMST-EC TSF.  In addition to options for the structure of TSF, the study also considered issues such as functions and responsibilities of the TSF, financing arrangements, and staffing.

Greater Mekong Subregion Long-term Strategy Framework: Prepared a new strategy framework for subregional economic cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).  The new strategy built on the successes and lessons learned from the first 10 years of the GMS Program, but featured a new approach of building and strengthening supply chains within the GMS and globally as a means to achieve greater global competitiveness and poverty reduction.

Pre-Feasibility Study on the Emerald Triangle: Prepared the pre-feasibility study for the proposed "Emerald Triangle," composed of northeastern Thailand, southern Lao People's Democratic Republic, and northern Cambodia.  Made missions to Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic to meet with senior government officials in the commerce, foreign affairs, agriculture, and other ministries; tourism agencies; investment promotion agencies; and others.  Conducted an assessment of the potential complementarities among the three regions, the natural endowments, key economic sectors, and impediments to trade and investment. Also made recommendations for projects to initiate subregional cooperation in key sectors and an overall framework for implementing the growth triangle.

Zambia-Malawi-Mozambique Growth Triangle (ZMM-GT): Designed the business plan for establishing the ZMM-GT Secretariat, including the organizational structure, functions of the Secretariat, staffing and job descriptions, budget, priority projects, strategy for interfacing with other ZMM-GT institutions, and more.  Previous activities for ZMM-GT included advising African consultants and government officials on the Asian growth triangle experiences, preparing reports on Asian growth triangles, designing various projects to improve public and private sector capacities and competitiveness in the ZMM-GT, and making presentations at the Inception Meeting of the ZMM-GT in November 2000.