TOKYO -- On Thursday, 14 March 2024, Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata hosted a Socialization Dinner for Ambassadors of APO Members in Tokyo. The event, which was attended by ambassadors and representatives from 14 APO members, coincided with the APO Vision 2025: Pause-and-reflect Activity Steering Committee Meeting, for which delegates from seven APO members gathered in Tokyo to review the progress on the APO Vision 2025 and deliberate on the future vision beyond 2025.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra’s opening address underscored the importance of the dinner as a reflection of APO’s commitment to broadening its engagement and inviting more stakeholders to join the productivity movement. Remarks by APO Chair Sheng-Hsiung Hsu of the ROC, elected by the 65th Session of the Governing Body highlighted the organization’s unique capacity to bring people together through productivity.

As the representative of the host country of the APO Secretariat, Deputy Director Yoshiaki Makino, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Japan, delivered the opening toast on behalf of APO Director for Japan Hideo Ishizuki, Director-General/Assistant Minister, International Cooperation Bureau, MOFA, appreciating the networking and reaffirming of personal ties among APO members while recognizing the ongoing initiatives of the Pause-and-reflect Activity and third-party evaluation.

The event closed with remarks by APO Alternate Director for India S. Gopalakrishnan, IAS, who expressed gratitude to the ambassadors in attendance and Secretary-General Dr. Indra on behalf of all participants. He emphasized the untapped benefits of the APO platform and encouraged everyone to leverage the APO’s international network of National Productivity Organizations to support government initiatives and the dinner's theme of collaboration and shared goals.