President Jokowi: Regional Stability is ASEAN’s Pride

President Jokowi attends a plenary session of the 28th ASEAN Summit at the National Convention Center (NCC), Vientiane, Laos, Tuesday (6/9) (Photo by: Presidential Secretariat/Laily)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said that regional stability has been the pride of ASEAN so far.

However, he added, ASEAN is currently witnessing the dynamics in the region that continue calling for attention from its member countries.

“We cannot let instability in the neighboring regions. We cannot let big countries dictate and determine security and stability of ASEAN’s neighboring regions,” said President Jokowi at the Plenary Session of the 28^th ASEAN Summit held at the National Convention Center (NCC), Vientiane, Laos, Monday (6/9).

President Jokowi also hopes that ASEAN countries can keep the spirit to maintain regional stability.“We have to strengthen our cooperation to safeguard the region,” he said.

In an event attended by ASEAN leaders, President Jokowi also said the world pins a high hope for the ASEAN Community, which will turn 50 next yearsand is home to more than 600 million people.

However, President Jokowi reminded that without ASEAN unity and centrality, its role to give important contribution for regional security and stability will be diminished.“If that happens, the future of ASEAN will be bleak,” he said.

President Jokowi went on to say that ASEAN’s economy is a success story.“ASEAN’s GDP for two years in a row has grown positive, that is 4.7 percent. This growth is higher than the average of global economy, the growth of the European Union, and the growth of the United States,” President Jokowi said.

Thus, President Jokowi called on ASEAN leaders to always strengthen economic cooperation among ASEAN countries.

ASEAN countries must ensure that economic cooperation can be enjoyed by ASEAN people evenly and development gap between ASEAN countries must be further narrowed down, President Jokowi further said.

In addition, he said ASEAN countries must also ensure involvement and progress of micro, small, and medium enterprises through the development of technology and innovation as well as the widening of financial and market access.

President Jokowi added that if ASEAN people do not feel the benefits of the presence of ASEAN, it will be difficult for ASEAN to grow and develop in a sustainable way.

Ending his remarks, President Jokowi urged ASEAN countries to become an organization that cares about its people. According to President Jokowi, migrant workers from ASEAN countries are a real representation of the ASEAN community and they must be protected.

“ASEAN must ensure that rights of the migrant workers and their families must be well protected,” President Jokowi concluded. (EN/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)