Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Opening of the 18th East Asia Summit, Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Jakarta Province, September 7, 2023
Your Majesty,
Your Excellencies, the leaders of the East Asia Summit,
Welcome to the East Asia Summit. This afternoon I would like to highlight just one thing, that all of us sitting in this room have an equal responsibility to create peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. We all have the same responsibility to refrain from creating new conflicts, to refrain from creating new tensions, to refrain from creating new wars. And, at the same time, we also have the responsibility to lower the tension, to melt the ice, to create space for dialogue, to bridge the differences.
Your Excellencies,
I have lost count of how many times the words “peace” and “stability” have been uttered at each of our meetings. This goes to show that we are all basically aware that peace [and] stability are the main drivers of prosperity. ASEAN has pledged to make the region the epicentrum of growth, so ASEAN will continue to play its role as a contributor to peace and stability. And, ASEAN would appreciate it if the East Asia Summit could agree on a leader-level statement on the determination to continue to make this region the epicentrum of growth.
This is where the world community will judge whether we are the kind of leaders who have the wisdom to make the world a better place for all. I really ask all leaders of the East Asia Summit to make this forum a place to strengthen collaboration, a place to strengthen cooperation, instead of escalating rivalry.
I invite all leaders to show wisdom, to show leadership, so that this meeting is successful and provides real benefits for the people of the world. This is where the world community will judge whether we are the kind of leaders who have the wisdom to make the world a better place for all.
I hereby declare the 18th East Asia Summit open.
Your Majesty,
Your Excellencies, Leaders of the East Asia Summit,
In line with the spirit of inclusive cooperation, during this series of summits, MoUs on cooperation between ASEAN and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) have been approved. To that end, I welcome the President of Bangladesh and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands to this East Asia Summit. I would like to invite the presiding guests to express their perspectives.
To start with, I invite Your Excellency Mohammed Shahabuddin, the President of Bangladesh as Chairperson of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
Your Excellency, please take the floor.
(FI/MMB)