Labuan Bajo – President Jokowi explained that ASEAN countries are currently facing more complex challenges. Because of that, he asked all the countries of the Association of ASEAN Nations to be more prepared.
This was conveyed by the head of state when chairing the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) meeting on the ASEAN Community Post-2025 Vision. The meeting was a series of the 42nd ASEAN Summit which was held in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, Wednesday (10/5).
In opening the interface forum, President Jokowi expressed his appreciation for the hard work of members of the High Level Task Force.
“I appreciate the hard work of members of the high-level task force in the past year and ASEAN must really be ready to face increasingly complex challenges.” said the President
Furthermore, he said that every ASEAN country can prepare for all the worst possibilities.
“We have to prepare for the worst but still hope for the best. Here the role of the high level task force is crucial in identifying challenges and opportunities far ahead and ensuring ASEAN’s contribution to the progress of the region and the world,” he said.
Not only preparing for all the worst possibilities, the former Governor of DKI also explained that ASEAN should also be more adaptive and not only focus on business matters.
President Jokowi also pushed for a high level task force to really be able to answer the various challenges that will be faced in the future. According to him, if challenges can be identified, various ASEAN visions and missions can be realized and increasingly taken into account at the global level.
Therefore, the president added, the meeting of ASEAN leaders this time is expected to be able to elaborate various creative thoughts.
“In today’s discussion we will elaborate thoughts that are out of the box, and transformative. Therefore, ASEAN leaders will hear directly from the high level task force reports and plans for the future,” the President concluded.
