Indonesian FM Urges ASEAN and Partners to Drive Regional Peace and Prosperity
Vientiane, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi called on ASEAN and its notable partners—South Korea, China, and Japan—to continue being the main drivers of regional peace, stability, and prosperity. This appeal was made at the 25th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting held in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday.
Minister Marsudi emphasized ASEAN’s significant contribution to global economic growth, highlighting that Southeast Asia, with a predominantly youthful population, is the world’s third-largest. “These enormous potentials the ASEAN wields will mean nothing in the absence of peace and stability,” Marsudi remarked, as per a statement from her ministry received in Jakarta.
Marsudi encouraged the Plus Three countries to sustain the region’s preferred economic growth rate of 4.5 percent by supporting the energy transition and digital economy, leveraging the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and collaborating under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
“To follow up on the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum held under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship last year, Indonesian business players within the ASEAN Business Advisory Council are preparing the establishment of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Business Network,” she added.
During the meeting, ASEAN foreign affairs ministers praised the three partner countries for their unwavering commitment to prioritizing dialogue to bridge differences. In return, the three East Asian countries echoed their support for the AOIP, recognizing it as an inclusive platform.
The ministers from ASEAN and the three partner countries underscored the necessity of preserving regional peace and stability to create a resilient region. The meeting culminated in a Chairman’s Statement that upheld the principles of mutual respect and a commitment to consistently enhancing regional resilience by strengthening supply chains and promoting sectoral collaboration.
The ministers also agreed to pursue the adoption of the ASEAN Plus Three Statement on Strengthening the Connectivity of Regional Industrial and Supply Chains during the 45th ASEAN Summit in October 2024.
