Jakarta – Indonesia is ready to hold the 43rd ASEAN High Level Conference (KTT) at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Jakarta on 5 to 7 September 2023.
“Yes, I see that the preparations are 99.99 percent ready for us to hold the ASEAN Summit and yes, the small details need to be completed in a day or two,” said the President to the media crew after inspecting the location of the ASEAN Summit, on Friday (01/09/ 2023).
President Jokowi said that there would be many issues brought up at the ASEAN Summit this time. However, the focus will be on economics. Namely economic growth in the ASEAN region. This is because Southeast Asia is expected to become the center of economic growth.
According to him, by holding the ASEAN Summit it is hoped that each Head of State can provide great benefits to his people.
President Jokowi’s direct involvement in these preparations indicates the government’s seriousness in making the big Southeast Asian event a success, which is expected to provide great benefits to the ASEAN region in the future.
On a different occasion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi explained that 22 countries consisting of 11 ASEAN countries and 9 partner countries would attend this ASEAN Summit. Apart from that, ASEAN also invited two other countries, namely Bangladesh as Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and Cook Islands as Chair of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF).
“Why IORA and PIF were invited is because one of our priorities this time is a peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive Indo Pacific. So when we talk about the Indo Pacific, there is a side in the south Pacific, there is a side in the Indian Ocean Rim that we have to start embracing and at the summit there will be cooperation between the ASEAN Secretariat and the IORA Secretariat and PIF,” said Retno.
Apart from that, Retno also confirmed that a number of international organizations would also attend this summit.
“Plus international organizations that are ASEAN partners, namely the United Nations, the Secretary General of the United Nations will attend, plus there will also be the World Bank, IMF, then the World Economic Forum, earlier IORA, PIF. “So in total there are 22 countries plus 9 international organizations,” he continued.
Unlike the 42nd Summit in Labuan Bajo which was held last May, the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta this coming September will not only be attended by leaders of member countries of the regional organization, but also heads of state/government from ASEAN partner countries.
