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The G20 summit, ASEAN and Indonesia
I think now President Jokowi understands that international and domestic affairs are two sides of the same coin and must be pursued in parallel.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo addresses the opening of the Group of 20 Finance Ministers’ meeting in Jakarta on Feb. 17, 2022. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
The Group of 20 Summit will take place on Nov. 15-16 in Bali, and the government is preoccupied with the process and preparations leading to the event.
Learning from the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting and G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting earlier this month, we could assume that some objectives have been reasonably achieved. Given the number of ministers attending, plus the observers present at the two meetings, we can safely conclude that the November summit will be attended by the leaders as well, after threats of a boycott a few months ago.
But in terms of substance, there is still a long way to go to measure the success of the summit. The implications of the war in Ukraine will very much influence the documents to be produced by the G20. For instance, whether the war should be mentioned or not in the meeting statement is the first question to answer at the summit.
There are important decisions to be made in November. These decisions should encompass all sectors, and be balanced in all aspects, to be accepted by all G20 members. I believe that the international community respects President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in his efforts to make the G20 a success, and this will be an important factor leading up to the summit.
President Jokowi has now proved that foreign policy is a priority, and that he is capable of playing a significant role in diplomacy and international affairs. He has shown his mettle as somebody who is a quick-learner and self-assured about the art of international affairs. As the president of the Republic of Indonesia, he has had to master international affairs, and has adjusted well to becoming an international statesman.
His most recent initiative to make ASEAN+3 an important intermediate regional body is brilliant, and could be useful in promoting ASEAN’s role on the global stage. ASEAN needs its Northeast Asian partners, namely China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, to maintain its centrality.
I think now President Jokowi understands that international and domestic affairs are two sides of the same coin and must be pursued in parallel. ASEAN+3 is a very important intermediate regional framework for ASEAN to play its role in the greater East Asia.
