AIPF Connects Private, Public Sectors in ASEAN, Indo-Pacific Region

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 5 September 2023
Category: News
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(From left to right) Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong, Head of Delegation of The Kingdom of Thailand Sarun Charoensuwan, Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone, Bruneian Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian PM Hun Manet, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, and Timorese PM Xanana Gusmao at the opening of ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Tuesday (09/05). (Photo by: 2023 ASEAN Summit Media Center/Dhoni Setiawan/aww)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Tuesday (09/05) inaugurated the first ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF), taking place on September 5-6 at Mulia Hotel in Jakarta in the margin of the ASEAN Summit.

“We gather here to build a more connected, more prosperous, and more sustainable future for us in the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific region,” Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Erick Thohir said at the opening of the forum.

The forum adopting the theme “Implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)” aims at connecting the private sector and public sector in the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific Region for stronger cooperation.

The forum will serve as a platform for ASEAN member states and partners to be involved in constructive discussions that result in concrete projects that will eventually enhance collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.

“There will be leaders’ talks, panel discussions, and business matching focusing on three primary areas, namely resilient green infrastructure and supply chain, innovative and sustainable payment, as well as inclusive digital transformation and creative economy,” Erick said, adding that in facing more complex global challenges, the Indonesian Government through SOEs actively collaborates with global partners in various sectors.

“For example, by forming strategic alliance to establish electric vehicle ecosystem, cooperating in improving connectivity and digitalization, and participating in the development of infrastructure in the region,” he said.

Erick also expressed hope that AIPF can improve partnership in the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific region.

“We hope discussions and communication in this forum will inspire new cooperation, improve existing cooperation, and produce innovative solutions to tackle the challenges we face,” he said.

For the record, this year’s AIPF exhibits various top projects in Indonesia and across Indo-Pacific that are in line with the subthemes of the AIPF.

Several Indonesian SOEs actively participate in this forum, including BRI bank, oil and gas company Pertamina, electricity company PLN, Bank Mandiri, BNI bank, mining holding company MIND ID, telecommunications company Telkom Indonesia, and aviation and tourism holding company InJourney.

The AIPF is a manifestation of the AOIP adopted by ASEAN member states in 2019. AOIP is an initiative that aims to reinforce inclusive regional architecture, promote collaboration, amplify mutually beneficial cooperation, and seize opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region.

The ASEAN region has sufficient capital to become the epicentrum of global economic growth with a collective GDP of USD3.3 trillion in 2021, which makes it the fifth largest economies in the world.

With a population of more than 660 million people, ASEAN has a major potential to be a cooperation partner.

For that reason, the 43rd ASEAN Summit becomes an important opportunity for its member states and Indo-Pacific countries to unite and navigate the course of cooperation and inclusive growth in the future. (DK/Communication & Media Team of the 2023 ASEAN Summit/UN) (DH/MUR)

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