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Indonesia wants to match infrastructure drive with Indo-Pacific approach
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Flags of many colors: A security officer stands guard during preparations for the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in June. (Reuters/Soe Zeya Tun)
I
ndonesia is aiming to match the positive response it received following the adoption of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific with its growing appetite for infrastructure development by hosting the upcoming Indo-Pacific forum next year, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi told lawmakers on Tuesday.
"With the outlook prepared by Indonesia, adopted by ASEAN and then appreciated by the world, we want to spread our geopolitical perspective," Retno said. "We also have to translate it into concrete cooperation, because now diplomacy is required to produce results for the people. And that is why we want to hold the Indo-Pacific infrastructure and connectivity forum."
In the first working meeting between the Foreign Ministry and the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing foreign affairs on Tuesday, Retno said that countries that responded positively to the adoption of the ASEAN outlook might be the source of fresh funding for any future cooperation under the Indo-Pacific framework.
“So Indonesia is thinking, when the countries have the funds for cooperation, why don't we discuss this cooperation here in Indonesia when we, the government, are also prioritizing infrastructure and human resource development?” Retno said.
The term Indo-Pacific has often been associated with United States President Donald Trump’s vision of the Indo-Pacific, which is seen by observers as intending to hedge against the Chinese economic expansion being carried out through the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
However, Indonesia continued to push for ASEAN to have its own Indo-Pacific concept. Following Indonesia's initiative, ASEAN leaders adopted the document during the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok on June 22, setting it as a guideline for member states to engage with their external partners, including rivaling superpowers the US and China.
In another ASEAN Summit in Bangkok earlier this month, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo invited various countries, including the US and China, as well as regional powers Japan, India and Australia, to participate at the upcoming Indo-Pacific forum.
