Indonesia calls on island states to unite in tackling global challenges

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi (Photo: VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) - This is an urgent time for archipelagic and island states to stand in solidarity and work together, making the Archipelagic and Island States Forum (AIS Forum) a "lighthouse" for developing inclusive cooperation to tackle various global challenges, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said on October 10.

Speaking at the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the AIS Forum in Bali, Indonesia, the minister noted that strengthening multilateral cooperation through the forum is essential to respond to various crises, including climate change and rising sea levels, marine pollution, and biodiversity loss.

She emphasised that the forum should be able to create concrete cooperation for the four key areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation, blue economy and ecotourism, marine and coastal plastic debris, and good maritime governance.

Marsudi expressed her hope that the AIS Forum would engage intensively with other relevant forums across the regions to strengthen its governance and impact.

Indonesia will host the 1st High-Level Meeting of the AIS Forum on October 11 in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Marsudi assessed that the high-level meeting will be a landmark that lays the foundation for synergising solutions in tackling global challenges

The high-level meeting, which raises the themes of the Blue Economy; Our Ocean, Our Future; and Solidarity, will be attended by leaders from 29 countries out of a total of 51 member nations of the AIS Forum as well as four international organisations./.

VNA