One of ASEAN’s main sources of pride is its ability to maintain lasting regional peace and stability, something Jokowi is well aware of.

But with recent turbulence over outstanding disputes and the dynamic landscape of Asian geopolitics, Jokowi has grown increasingly concerned about regional stability, especially in regard to attempts by external parties to project their interests onto the region.

He said ASEAN member states should try to resolve tensions arising from regional dynamics and he urged ASEAN leaders to maintain a spirit of camaraderie in “protecting our home”.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the instability that is emerging in our region. We cannot let powerful countries dictate to us and determine the fate of regional security and stability,” Jokowi said during the 28th ASEAN Summit plenary meeting in Vientiane on Tuesday.

Approaching its 50th anniversary in 2017, the wider world hopes ASEAN will successfully serve its 600-million strong population, Jokowi said. With total GDP growth of 4.7 percent over two years — surpassing the US and the EU — Jokowi said he was convinced the bloc could meet expectations.

“Without ASEAN unity and centrality, I am certain that ASEAN’s ability to maintain regional peace and stability will erode,” he said.

The year of 2016 has proved to be a challenging year for ASEAN, and as the current chairman of the organization, Laos is expected to take on the unenviable task of weathering a gathering storm.

Besides border disputes that have been left unresolved for decades, tensions have escalated as a result of reclamation efforts on the part of the Chinese in the South China Sea (SCS) and missile launches initiated by North Korea in waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

Furthermore, an international arbitration ruling almost drove a wedge between the 10 ASEAN member states, with countries dependent on Chinese finance blocking any attempt to issue a joint communiqué criticizing China’s behavior in the region.

Conversely, the US has jumped at the opportunity to knock back Beijing’s influence in the region by evoking freedom of navigation and overflight in the SCS.

In addition to addressing the political-security pillar of ASEAN, Jokowi’s message also called for improvements to the organization’s economic pillar to ensure that the benefits of economic cooperation between ASEAN nations could be enjoyed equally by all member states, including the “CLMV” bloc comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi told reporters after the plenary meeting that the President had also emphasized the importance of empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through technological and digital innovation, as well as through market and financial facilitation.

And although discussion on the Chinese-approved and ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is still in its early phase, Retno revealed there were plans for ASEAN to issue separate declarations on the partnership agreement on Wednesday.

“We will continue to push for the RCEP,” she said, adding that negotiations could be pushed back until next year if deliberations were not concluded this year.

Retno said the President had also suggested to ASEAN leaders that they develop together an instrument to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers in the region, a necessary development for a people-centered ASEAN.

Also on Tuesday, Jokowi and nine other heads of governments signed the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One Bloc in the Region and Outside the Region.

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