President Jokowi: ASEAN Plays Important Role in Regional, Global Stability
The ASEAN plays an important role for the people in the region and around the globe, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
“I believe that the ASEAN is still important and relevant for the people, for the region, and for the world,” the President said in his remarks at the kick-off ceremony of the Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN chairmanship in Jakarta, Sunday (01/29).
According to the President, Indonesia holds the ASEAN chairmanship in the midst of a tough global situation, with various crises, including economic crisis, energy crisis, food crisis, and the ongoing war.
“ASEAN will continue contributing to peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region and the ASEAN will continue mngaintaini economic growth. ASEAN matters and it is the epicentrum of growth,” the President said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi stated that the theme for the 2023 ASEAN chairmanship has two major elements.
The first element is “ASEAN Matters”, how Indonesia with its chairmanship continues to make the ASEAN relevant and important, not only for the Indonesian people, but also for the people of the ASEAN and outside the ASEAN.
“The President said that we aim to make ASEAN play a very important role so it can contribute to regional stability and peace,” the Foreign Minister said.
Retno also said that ASEAN’s economic growth is always higher than the world’s economic growth year to year.
For the 2023, she added, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s ASEAN growth projection is 4.7 percent, while the world economic growth projection from the World Bank is 1.7 percent.
“The President has ordered us to ensure that Southeast Asia, ASEAN can become the epicenter of growth or the center of economic growth. We will strengthen cooperation in health sector since the pandemic has not ended yet, in energy sector, in food sector, and in financial sector,” she remarked. (FID/BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/UN) (RI/EP)