Between June 9-10, Mr. Labadze attended the 4th Asia Think Tank Summit in Seoul, an event jointly organised by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), the Korea Development Institute (KDI), the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), the Civil Society Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Asia Development Bank Institute (ADBI).

The Summit dealt with the issues surrounding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN last September, which ambitiously set a new development cooperation paradigm for the global community. Present challenges faced by Asian countries were discussed in detail, such as collaboration between the government, private sector and civil society, as well as with individual nations. In addition, despite the fact that economists and politicians frequently claim that Asia has great economic potential, issues such as economic integration being set against political rivalries. This latter matter is concerning to the degree that Asian nations paradoxically currently have potential for conflict and collaboration with one another in equal measure. Representatives from leading think tanks across Asia and the Pacific all attended the event. After discussing the challenges and obstacles in depth, the international attendees then outlined and explored potential cooperative solutions.