JakartaPost-Apr 6, 2023
After over three months and hundreds of closed-door meetings since the start of Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASEAN, “everything is on the right track”, said Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi. The minister’s statement, made amid fast-changing realities witnessed by Southeast Asian nations in past months, reaffirmed that Jakarta’s focus remains centered on the three pillars of its agenda: emphasizing ASEAN centrality, ensuring economic growth and implementing its Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Retno explained that it was Indonesia’s priority that ASEAN’s capacity be “strengthened” under its leadership, such that it could effectively handle any present and upcoming challenges. The past few years have seen ASEAN struggle to earn the trust of its people, as intense geopolitical rivalries continue to shake up the region with little assurance that the association can efficiently rise to the occasion if any urgent security threats make themselves present. A slow-moving process, red tape and an outdated charter remain ASEAN’s biggest weaknesses, critics say. While Indonesia has been mostly candid about the hundreds of meetings that have been scheduled for this year, important details about sensitive and important issues remain largely elusive. For example, its progress in addressing the Myanmar issue remains ambiguous, analysts said, despite repeated affirmations it was “engaging with all stakeholders”. “Building trust is highly important, and Indonesia will continue to bridge the existing differences,” Retno said on the issue of Myanmar. The 42nd ASEAN Summit will take place early next month in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, and will run for nearly a week as the leaders of Southeast Asia mull over key regional issues. Read more at:
