Wahyu Dwi Anggoro
“Diversity undeniably enriches us, our solidarity creates a stronger community, and our confidence leads us to remarkable growth," said Arsjad.
Expanding on this, Arsjad revealed that under Indonesia's leadership, ASEAN-BAC embraces ASEAN Centrality through innovation and inclusivity.
He explained that understanding ASEAN Centrality goes beyond recognizing our strategic geographical position. It also involves dismantling compartmentalized thinking that hindered ASEAN's collective growth, reviewing ASEAN's economic resilience across various sectors, and reshaping ASEAN's engagement consolidation with key partners.
"My first question since taking office as the Chairman of ASEAN BAC in January 2023 was, What do we want? As Southeast Asian economies, as ASEAN? Do we want to maintain stagnant and less impactful GDP growth? Do we want to continue importing more strategic commodities? Do we want to align with the West or the East?" said Arsjad.
He continued by stating that these questions led ASEAN-BAC to embark on its mission by visiting member countries and strategic economic partners. Through various interactions, ASEAN-BAC gathered all aspirations on how ASEAN should progress.
