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Indonesia to emphasize ASEAN centrality at Laos summits
The topics of regional tension in the South China Sea and the civil war in Myanmar are expected to take center stage at the leaders' meeting hosted by Laos in Vientiane.
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(From left to right) Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe, Philippines' Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Theresa P. Lazaro, Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Laos' Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof, Cambodia's Foreign Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, East Timor's Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas and ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn pose for a family photo on Oct. 8, 2024, at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane, Laos. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
V
ice President Ma’ruf Amin jetted off to Vientiane on Tuesday to lead the Indonesian delegation at the ASEAN leader-level talks in the Laotian capital this week, bringing messages of maintaining the bloc’s centrality and ensuring regional security at the forefront of his packed agenda.
The trip, which marks the first time that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will be absent from the biannual regional summit, comes as the bloc faces mounting pressure to stabilize the region amid external and internal issues; most glaringly disputes around the South China Sea and Myanmar civil war.
The Vice President took off from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. He landed at the Wattay International Airport in Vientiane in the evening and was greeted by several Laotian and Indonesian officials.
Ma’ruf will engage in dozens of meetings with leaders and officials of regional neighbors as well as key external partners during his time in Vientiane. On his agenda is to remind the bloc of some of its achievements over the past decade and encouraging the continuity of some of the group’s efforts, including in Myanmar.
“The Vice President will also push larger countries to support ASEAN centrality, while also ensuring its adaptability in responding to current challenges,” vice presidential spokesperson Masduki Baidlowi said in a statement on Tuesday.
Read also: VP Ma’ruf to attend ASEAN Summit in Vientiane
Efforts to cement ASEAN’s position as the primary multilateral body in Southeast Asia continue to face steep challenges, with the region becoming increasingly attractive to large external powers seeking to win global influence in the past years.
