President Jokowi Calls on Japan to Cooperate with ASEAN to Rebuild Regional Economy
President Jokowi virtually attends the 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java Province, Thursday (12/11). (Photo by: BPMI-Setpres)
The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over; thereby all countries must strive and work together to overcome the pandemic that has greatly impacted the global community and to rebuild the economy without ignoring health protocols, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.
President Jokowi made the statement in his remarks at the 23rd ASEAN-Japan Summit from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java Province, Thursday (12/11).
In the summit, the President invited Japan to cooperate with ASEAN countries, considering the great potential of the two parties.
“In 2019, for instance, Japanese investment in ASEAN reached US$20.3 billion, the second-largest in the region. The ASEAN-Japan trade volume reached US$225.9 billion, while tourist visits between the two parties reached around 10 million people,” the President said.
According to him, there are two forms of ASEAN-Japan cooperation that can be carried out to rebuild the regional economic condition amid the pandemic.
First, working together to accelerate the economic recovery. ASEAN could become Japan’s main partner in diversifying supply chains and expanding investment, he added.
“The ongoing pandemic has taught us that economic resilience is closely related to health resilience. Improving a resilient healthcare system must be a priority in ASEAN-Japan cooperation,” he said.
For that reason, the President continued, the development of the ASEAN Center for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases is crucial, adding that Indonesia is ready to host the project.
Second, both ASEAN and Japan can collaborate to increase strategic trust by creating a situation that is conducive in the region, considering that security stability is a prerequisite for the economic movement.
“Amid the global downturn, there is no room for a trust deficit. On the other hand, strategic trusts must be strengthened,” the President said.
On that occasion, the President expressed belief that all of these things can be achieved if two parties put forward a win-win paradigm and collaborate with one another. Both ASEAN and Japan could establish more concrete cooperation through the framework of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. (BPMI / UN)
Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Reviewed by: Muhardi
