The Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Committee in Doha (ACD) is planning to hold another investment forum with Qatar Chamber aimed at attracting more Qatari investors.
Speaking at the ACD turnover ceremony yesterday at the Singapore embassy in Doha, Philippine ambassador Wilfredo Santos told reporters that he wanted  to organise a second forum with Qatari businessmen and various groups in the country to increase awareness about Asean. 
“Asean is a big region with more than 600mn people and with a GDP (gross domestic product) of more than $2.6tn, that is a big market and we can use this as an incentive for Qataris to engage with us, not only Qataris but actually the GCC,” the envoy noted.
Santos wants to build on the initiatives started by Singaporean ambassador Wong Kwok Pun, who officially handed over the ACD chairmanship to him yesterday. 
The ceremony at the chancery also marks the 49th founding anniversary of Asean. 
While each Asean country pursues its own bilateral initiative, Santos stressed that the chairman’s task was to support and complement these embassy initiatives that will bring more investments and trade to region.
He believes that Qatar, with its sovereign wealth fund, can use its resources to invest in the Asean region.
“There are opportunities for us to explore with Qatar, and how we will use these opportunities to obtain concrete projects in the economic and trade areas is something that will challenge us not only during my time but in the years to come,” he explained.
As a bloc, he said ACD aims to promote the Asean region as a trade and investment destination in Qatar and the whole GCC.
Santos is also planning to hold dialogues with other GCC countries to strengthen Asean–GCC relations. 
“Those are just plans but I hope to maximise my one-year chairmanship; of course it will coincide with our (Philippines) hosting of the Asean Summit next year, and celebrating its 50th founding anniversary,” he said.
Asean was formed on August 8, 1967 by five South East Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) to promote political and economic co-operation and regional stability, according to Pun. Later, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia joined the bloc.
In his speech, Pun said Asean countries now share a common desire for peace, security, stability, and prosperity, citing increase in “people-to-people linkages and bringing the region closer together.”
He noted that Asean now is the seventh largest economy in the world and the third largest market with a population of 622mn. In 2014, it attracted $136bn of foreign direct investment.
“But, there is still much work to be done to make it more integrated and connected,” Pun pointed out.