SINGAPORE, April 16, 2025 – The Executive Committee (EC) of ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) has appointed Yasuto Watanabe as AMRO’s sixth Director.
Mr. Watanabe will assume office as AMRO Director on May 27, 2025, succeeding Kouqing Li, whose term concludes on May 26, 2025. As AMRO Director, Mr. Watanabe will lead the organization, ensure the efficient and timely surveillance of ASEAN+3 economies, and oversee all tasks assigned by the EC.
Mr. Watanabe currently serves as Senior Deputy Vice Minister of Finance at Japan Ministry of Finance, where he supervises the Regional Financial Cooperation, Development Finance, and Foreign Exchange Markets divisions. He previously held key positions, including Director General of Budget, People, and Management Systems at the Asia Development Bank, and Deputy Director at AMRO. With three decades of experience, Mr. Watanabe brings deep expertise in international finance, development finance, financial regulation, and regional financial cooperation. He holds a Master of Arts in International and Development Economics from Yale University.
Mr. Watanabe’s appointment followed a competitive international recruitment process. He was selected based on the recommendation of an interview panel consisting of six members of the EC—AMRO’s highest decision-making body, comprising Deputies of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the ASEAN+3 member economies.
About AMRO
The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) is an international organization established to contribute toward securing macroeconomic and financial resilience and 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 regional financial arrangements, and provide technical assistance to the members. In addition, AMRO also serves as a regional knowledge hub and provides support to ASEAN+3 financial cooperation.