resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called for an immediate implementation of an ASEAN travel corridor on Monday ahead of the bloc's summits, in order to speed up economic recovery as confidence grows in COVID-19 outbreak control.
The President is set to meet leaders from eight other ASEAN nations and their dialogue partners for the 38th and 39th ASEAN summits virtually this week, hosted by Brunei Darussalam as this year’s chair of the regional organization.
The three-day summits will begin Tuesday, and leaders are expected to discuss the implementation of the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework after launching a declaration about it in November last year.
First proposed by Jokowi in June last year, the travel corridor is aimed at facilitating essential business travel that implements strict health protocols. At the last ASEAN Summit in November, Jokowi expressed his wish that the framework could be implemented in the first quarter of this year, but the second wave of coronavirus infections that swept the region, exacerbated by the more transmissible Delta variant, have delayed its implementation.
At the peak of the second wave, Indonesia saw more than 56,000 daily new cases in July, with more than half a million active cases, grinding its health system to a halt. Other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, also battled record infections and deaths.
“We have seen new hope in the last week as COVID-19 cases in the ASEAN region fell by 14 percent, much better than the world average at 1 percent,” Jokowi said on Monday at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, which was held ahead of the ASEAN summits.
Read also: Jokowi wants ASEAN travel corridor in place by early 2021
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.