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ndonesia continues to push for the completion of the ASEAN concept of the Indo-Pacific based on the principles and scope of cooperation conveyed by Indonesia.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after attending the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Friday that various advances had been achieved and Indonesia was expecting the concept to be agreed upon at the upcoming ASEAN Summit.

“Indonesia welcomes contributions and input from ASEAN members that have enriched the ASEAN Indo-Pacific concept. Amid the regional dynamics, the concept of ASEAN Indo-Pacific cooperation will strengthen ASEAN’s centrality in contributing to the stability and prosperity of the region in a sustainable manner,” she said in a statement.

The Indo-Pacific concept is an evolving concept for a regional order straddling the Indian and Pacific oceans, interpretations of which vary depending on the interests of countries in the region.

The term “Indo-Pacific” has gained ground in recent years, especially after United States President Donald Trump used the term in his Asian tour in 2017, but the idea had previously been mentioned by other world leaders on different occasions.

Many countries in the region have set their eyes on the region by developing their own concepts, such as India’s Act East Policy, South Korea’s New Southern Policy, Japan and the US’ Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, as well as Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper.

Indonesia has been pushing for ASEAN to adopt its own stance on the matter, with a view that an ASEAN-led Indo-Pacific regional architecture be discussed in the East Asia Summit (EAS), consisting of 10 ASEAN member states and other countries, which already have their own Indo-Pacific interpretations.

Speaking after the retreat on Friday, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the foreign ministers did not have an extended discussion on the concept, apart from delegating the deliberation to the senior official-level and possibly expanding on the group’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

“I hope next time round, there will more comprehensive discussion on Indo-Pacific, if there’s a need, if not, then we will see how the idea evolves,” he said.

“One should take into consideration the principles that appear in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation […] Perhaps it could be expanded further to cover a wider area [like the Indo-Pacific region].”

A wide array of issues related to sustainable development, climate change and connectivity were also discussed in the retreat, as the foreign ministers encouraged closer cooperation to achieve the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

The foreign ministers also discussed the ASEAN Community building process, in which Retno stressed the importance of involving millennials to increase not only awareness but also a sense of belonging among youth.

“One of Indonesia’s ways to raise awareness among the younger generation and millennials about ASEAN is by choosing ASEAN Youth Ambassadors every year,” she said in the statement.

For the ASEAN 2019 work program, Indonesia pushed for mainstreaming the role of women in regional peace and security. Retno stressed that women had various advantages that could make positive contributions in maintaining peace and security in the region. Therefore, Indonesia is hosting a Regional Training on Women, Peace and Security in March.

Other issues discussed during the retreat were the acceleration of the finalization of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, developments in Rakhine state in Myanmar and the role of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, and other international issues.