Labuan Bajo – In the opening session of the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that ASEAN’s position as the Epicentrum of Growth must continue to be strengthened, because with unity, ASEAN countries will be able to become central players in bringing world peace and growth.
The President of the Republic of Indonesia in a meeting with ASEAN Heads of State (HoS) at the Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) session echoed the importance of collaboration.
“The collaboration between the government and parliament must be strengthened to maintain and strengthen political stability and democracy, in order to ensure that ASEAN becomes the Epicentrum of Growth,” said President Jokowi.
Then, the President of the Republic of Indonesia together with the ASEAN Heads of State (HoS) held a meeting of the ASEAN Youth session, and emphasized the dominance of the young population in ASEAN, so that ASEAN deserves to be the Epicentrum of Growth.
“As many as 34% of the composition of the ASEAN population are youth, so the big role of youth in the ASEAN region through creative and innovative ideas is expected to support the progress of the ASEAN region as a stable and peaceful region and become the Epicentrum of Growth,” he emphasized.
Therefore, he continued, the younger generation of ASEAN needs to formulate the best steps to maximize their existing potential.
Meanwhile, in the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) at the Komodo Ballroom of the Meruorah Hotel, Labuan Bajo (10/5), President Jokowi said that ASEAN needs to appreciate the efforts of ASEAN member countries that have faced the Covid-19 pandemic is helped by collaboration, cooperation and synergy between the government and entrepreneurs.
“In the future the challenges facing ASEAN will still be very heavy because of the large geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the financial sector in the US and Europe which has an impact on developing countries,” said President Jokowi.
ASEAN countries according to President Jokowi must further strengthen collaboration to maintain ASEAN as the Epicentrum of Growth and ASEAN’s economic potential is very large, namely an economy that grows above the world average, demographic bonuses, and the middle class which is expected to continue to increase by 65% in 2030.
Whereas in the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV), President Jokowi emphasized the role of the High-Level Task Force which he considered very crucial in identifying challenges and opportunities in the future in order to ensure contribution ASEAN for the progress of the region and the world.
“The ASEAN 2045 vision is emphasized to be more adaptive and visionary or forward looking and not allowed to do the same thing or business as usual, so we have to think out of the box and be transformative,” he said.
The ASEAN Leaders also supported the existence of the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the Development of the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision as part of the process of developing the ASEAN Post-2025 vision. With this ratification, it is hoped that the ASEAN Post-2025 drafting process will be strengthened and ensure that the ASEAN Post-2025 vision is as planned.
