SINGAPORE, May 25, 2023 – Today begins the 7th Joint Regional Financing Arrangements (RFAs) Research Seminar, a two-day hybrid seminar. This year’s discussions focus on public debt sustainability and fiscal challenges in times of tighter financial conditions. This event is organized jointly by the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), and Latin American Reserve Fund (FLAR).
The seminar comprises three sessions. The first session consists of a dialogue between officials from regional institutions with academia on the implications of, inter alia, higher interest rates and inflation for debt sustainability analysis. The second session aims at obtaining a deeper understanding of debt and fiscal challenges and policy priorities, globally and across different regions. The last session examines how the international community and regional partners can help countries navigate such challenges and advance reforms that reduce debt vulnerabilities and make economies greener, more resilient, and inclusive.
The three co-organizing institutions launched this series of research seminars in 2017. This annual event offers the RFAs a platform to exchange views with each other and scholars, policymakers, economists from central banks and finance ministries, as well as representatives from international financial institutions on issues relevant for RFAs’ operations.
The next opportunity for RFAs to meet will be the 8th RFA High-level Dialogue in October 2023 in Marrakesh on the occasion of the IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting.
About AMRO
The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) is an international organization established to contribute towards securing macroeconomic and financial stability of the ASEAN+3 region, comprising 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; and Korea. AMRO’s mandate is to conduct macroeconomic surveillance, support the implementation of the regional financial arrangement, the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), and provide technical assistance to the members.