President Jokowi Believes ASEAN-India Can be Center of Economic Growth in Indian Ocean Region

President Jokowi joins a group photo session with heads of governments/heads of states during the Plenary Session of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held on Thursday (25/1) at Hotel Taj Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi, India. (Photo by: Bureau of Press and Media)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo believes that ASEAN-India can be the center economic growth in the Indian Ocean that will contribute to the creation of prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

The belief is not groundless seeing great potentials that ASEAN and India have, one of which the total population in India and ASEAN that reaches almost two billion people.

“From that figure, productive age group reaches almost 1.5 billion,” said President Jokowi during the Plenary Session of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held on Thursday (25/1) at Hotel Taj Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi, India.

In addition, the growth of global economy is also estimated to increase into 3,7 percent in 2018 from 3.6 percent in 2017.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also appreciated ASEAN-India cooperation that has successfully stimulated economic growth in respective countries. ASEAN’s economy is predicted to grow by 5 percent, while India’s economy is projected to grow 7 percent in 2018.

“Thanks to our joint works, the economies can post positive growth, above the growth of the global economy,” the President said.

Nevertheless, there remain several matters in global conditions are not yet stable that must be faced by ASEAN and India, including the weakening of the global economy and the tendency of protectionism policies in various countries.

President Jokowi also called on ASEAN and India to continue talks of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that will represent almost half of global population, 31.6% of the global GDP, and 28.5% of the global trade. The President also expressed ASEAN and Indonesia’s readiness to work with India in an effort to find pragmatic landing zones so that the efforts to expand and promote supply chain in the RCEP region can be realized.

“Indonesia calls on the importance of intensifying efforts to finalize the talk in 2018,” the President said. (BPMI/EN) (EP/YM/Naster)