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Jakarta prepares for flurry of ASEAN meetings
Indonesia is set to host the ASEAN Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings in Jakarta next week, where it will lead discussions on issues of regional concern.
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Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (right) walks into a conference room at the ministry’s headquarters in Central Jakarta, on July 7, 2023. Retno spoke about Indonesia’s preparations to host the ASEAN Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings that will commence on July 11-14 and will feature delegates from 29 countries, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat and the European Union. (Antara/Risyal Hidayat)
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n preparation for a series of high-level ASEAN meetings in Jakarta next week, the government has reiterated its view of the importance of the regional bloc’s centrality in a polarized world and has said key negotiations will continue apace.
Priorities for the four-day ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), which starts on Monday, will include advancing the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea, ensuring the region remains nuclear weapons-free and honing the association’s long-term vision for Southeast Asia, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.
The meetings would be attended by more than 1,000 delegates from around the world, the minister said, and the participants would seek to produce 12 outcome documents, including a much-awaited joint communiqué, throughout the week.
Additionally, Indonesia will host 13 bilateral meetings of its own, on top of the dozens of other side meetings that will take place in Jakarta.
The outcome documents, Retno said, would address progress on the association’s collaborations, its future priorities, as well as important regional and global issues.
“The current state of global affairs continues to be riddled with sharp rivalries. The war in Ukraine continues unabated. These situations have negatively affected COVID-19 post-pandemic recovery efforts [and] have impacted the atmosphere of dialogue in all multilateral and international forums,” she said.
“In such a situation, it is more important than ever that ASEAN becomes more solid and united so that it can continue playing a central role […] in maintaining peace and stability in the region.”
