ASEAN Unity Key to Maintain Prosperity in Southeast Asia

ndonesia has urged ASEAN to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region amidst increasing global uncertainties.

IDXChannel - Indonesia has urged ASEAN to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region amidst increasing global uncertainties. The bloc must be able to navigate regional and global dynamics and continue to instill the paradigm of collaboration.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN's unity and centrality to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the region while chairing the plenary session of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta on Tuesday (11/7/2023).

“For more than five decades, Southeast Asia has enjoyed peace, stability, and prosperity. We cannot take this for granted. Peace does not fall from the sky. It is a result of a systematic effort to build an inclusive regional architecture, anchored in the habit of dialogue and collaboration based on the principles of the UN Charter, ASEAN Charter, and international law," she further stated.

"We can only achieve this if we maintain ASEAN unity and centrality," the Minister said.

In this regard, she proposed two things to be advanced. First, maintaining ASEAN's credibility. This means that ASEAN Charter must be consistently implemented, including in the decision-making process during emergency situations.

"We must prove that united we can address existing challenges, while also ready to anticipate and respond to future challenges. That is why long-term ASEAN Vision is so crucial," she said.

Second, ASEAN must remain in the driver seat in navigating regional dynamics. ASEAN needs to send a clear message that it will never become a proxy in great powers' rivalry.

"The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation must be abided by all. ASEAN must be at the forefront in building inclusive regional architecture," she said. (WHY)