43rd ASEAN Summit to focus on four main pillars

Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi (second, from right) speaks at a media gathering. (Photo: 43rd ASEAN Summit Communication and Media Team)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi on August 28 revealed four main pillars of his country’s Chairmanship in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related meeting slated from September 5-7.

In her statement after inspecting the readiness of the 43rd ASEAN Summit’s Media Centre in Jakarta, the minister said that first and foremost, it is important to uphold the long-term vision of the region.

She added that the vision must be carried out considering that it is vital to serve as guidance and ensure the future of ASEAN.

ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Declaration of Concord I in 1976, the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II in 2003, and the Declaration of ASEAN Concord III in 2011, and negotiations are still ongoing to ratify the Declaration of ASEAN Concord IV as the foundation for ASEAN Vision 2045 at the upcoming summit.

The second pillar is strengthening ASEAN’s resilience in facing the challenges.

The third pillar is promoting ASEAN as a centre of economic growth.

Retno further said that Indonesia will highlight the strengthening of food security in the region as one of its essential elements of economic growth, while underscoring that it is also in line with Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship’s theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”.

The last pillar is making the Indo-Pacific a region of peace and security.

To that end, Indonesia will encourage the other ASEAN member countries to promote the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to ASEAN partners during the upcoming summit.

Regarding the fourth pillar, according to Retno, on the sidelines of 43rd ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN Chair will organise the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF), bringing together decision-making officials and the private sector to discuss economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This is one of the important moves to implement and concretise the AOIP.

Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Pahala Mansury added that the AIPF aims to encourage cooperation, shifting from the previous focus on security cooperation to specific economic one. The AIPF will focus on discussing three main areas including green infrastructure and supply chain resilience; digitalisation and creative industries; and funding sources. In particular, the first two areas are expected to become the growth engines of the ASEAN and Indo-Pacific regions in the future.

ASEAN needs to ensure innovative sustainable funding for growth in the infrastructure sector.

According to Pahala, the total value of projects within the framework of AOIP is now up to 120 billion USD. Currently, 93 projects with a total value of 38 billion USD are feasible while others are still in the potential category. The AIPF will be officially opened by President Joko Widodo on September 5 and is expected to become a forum to discuss and introduce ongoing or potential projects./.