ASEAN can become world’s growth center: Jokowi

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has affirmed that Indonesia is keen to encourage all ASEAN countries to unite in terms of production power so that the Southeast Asian region can become the world’s growth center.

This determination aligns with one of Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship pillars, that of epicentrum of growth.

“Many of the world’s products originate from ASEAN countries. This is the very power that we strive to unite in order to promote the bloc as a center of production, in accordance with our potentials,” Widodo explained in the Sarinah Thamrin area, Jakarta, on Thursday.

Jokowi said that ASEAN, with a total population of around 650 million, indeed has enormous potential, complemented by the fact that its economic growth has constantly remained above the global average.

Widodo further said he believes that ASEAN countries can be a production epicentrum of highly competitive products, such as televisions, batteries, and electric vehicles.

“We are keen to direct ASEAN to be an economic growth center, an epicentrum of growth,” the President remarked.