At the opening of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, President Jokowi emphasized that ASEAN is not a proxy for foreign powers
Jakarta – The 43rd ASEAN Summit was officially opened by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday (5/9). The opening of the event was held at the Plenary Hall, Jakarta Convention Center
“Welcome to Jakarta for the 43rd Summit in ASEAN, I and all the Indonesian people are very happy to welcome the big ASEAN family,” said President Jokowi.
In his remarks, President Jokowi discussed the question of whether ASEAN could be divided due to differences. According to the President, this will not happen because the unity of ASEAN has so far been well maintained.
“Because differences of opinion actually foster democracy and show that we as a family have an equal position,” added the President
Furthermore, the Head of State also conveyed the importance of equality. According to the President, this must be upheld together.
“Equality is actually the main value that we respect and uphold together in the framework of unity and togetherness so that ASEAN’s big ship can continue to move forward.” said the President
President Jokowi reminded that currently the world is not doing well. This is because the future challenges will be increasingly difficult and complex due to the influence of various major powers.
He also gave a message and invited ASEAN countries not to be divided and become proxies for the various big powers.
“Don’t make our ship ASEAN an arena of rivalries that destroy each other, but make our ship a field to grow cooperation, create prosperity, stability and peace, not only for the region but also for the world,” said the President.
Previously, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi explained three main focuses that Indonesia would implement during the 2023 ASEAN Summit.
“First, we want to lay a strong foundation for the ASEAN 2045 vision,” said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
According to him, in the midst of an unfavorable global situation, ASEAN must have the capacity to face future challenges. The organization must be able to make decisions in emergency situations.
Therefore, continued Retno, the ASEAN Concord was planned to be decided as the foundation for the organization’s long-term vision for 2045. This foundation will continue to be built during Indonesia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023.
“The second point, Indonesia wants to strengthen Southeast Asia as the epicenter of economic growth. “Moreover, ASEAN has strong capital with a population of more than 650 million people, economic growth that is always above the world growth average, and the Southeast Asia region is relatively peaceful and stable,” said Foreign Minister Retno.
