Indonesia commits to promoting ASEAN Community

Jakarta (VNA) - The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) has organised its first meeting for 2023 preceded by an opening ceremony graced by the Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Derry Aman, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to ASEAN and Chairperson of the CPR, emphasised that Indonesia, as Chair of ASEAN for 2023, is committed to further advance and realise ASEAN as a community for all.

Underlining this year’s theme – ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth, Derry highlighted the importance of upholding ASEAN Centrality in order for ASEAN to remain strategic, significant, and relevant to the region’s citizens and the world.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kao affirmed that the CPR has always been instrumental in ASEAN’s integration and Community-building efforts. 
The CPR continues to carry out its mandate effectively and has accomplished many important tasks, particularly in supporting the ASEAN Coordinating Council, as well as in enhancing cooperation with ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other external partners, he noted.

Dr. Kao emphasised the six priorities of ASEAN, including maintaining peace;  building on ASEAN’s prosperity; focusing on the planet, empowering the people; enhancing partnerships within ASEAN and with external partners; and transforming ASEAN’s key potentials into tangible benefits and advantages.

In this meeting, Indonesia laid out its chairmanship priorities. 

Derry stressed the Chair’s commitment to focus on food security, energy security, global health architecture, financial stability, and mainstreaming the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific.

The CPR was established in 2009 after the ASEAN Charter came into force. The Committee’s mandate includes monitoring the implementation of Leaders’ decisions, implementing master plans on the ASEAN Community, helping ministers coordinate cross-pillar and inter-sectoral issues, strengthening relations with ASEAN’s external partners, and providing substantive and administrative direction and support to the ASEAN Secretariat./.