Indonesian President Urges ASEAN Leaders To Navigate Global Challenges With Boldness And Unity

5-9-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesian President Joko Widodo has urged South-east Asian leaders to demonstrate greater boldness, agility, and the development of a long-term tactical plan to tackle mounting global challenges. Drawing a metaphor between ASEAN and a large ship, President Widodo emphasized its significant responsibility towards the hundreds of millions of people aboard, navigating through stormy waters. He underscored the importance of ensuring the ship continues to sail smoothly, with leaders acting as captains to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all.

Speaking at the opening of the plenary session of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, President Widodo was joined by nine South-east Asian leaders, including newly-appointed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and prospective member Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Thailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was notably absent, represented instead by Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan. Myanmar’s generals, who have been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings due to a lack of progress on a peace plan to end a crisis, did not send a non-political representative.

In his opening remarks, President Widodo reiterated ASEAN’s stance of not becoming a proxy for any external power and its commitment to cooperate with any nation for peace and prosperity. He cautioned against turning ASEAN into an arena of rivalry among global powers, emphasizing the importance of fostering cooperation for the benefit of the region and the world.

Indonesia, the current chair of the 10-nation bloc, faces increasing pressure to address the situation in Myanmar, which has been plagued by violence since a military coup in 2021, and to accelerate negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the disputed South China Sea.

President Widodo also emphasized the importance of unity within ASEAN, acknowledging that future challenges are becoming more complex and involve a struggle for influence by major powers. He stressed that unity does not mean the absence of differing opinions but rather represents harmony in diversity, underscoring the value of diversity in nourishing democracy and promoting equality among ASEAN member states.

Under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” the summit’s priorities include establishing a strong foundation for ASEAN’s long-term vision, enhancing resilience to face current and future challenges, reinforcing its role as a center of growth, and ensuring a safe and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.

The three-day summit will feature plenary and retreat sessions, along with high-level meetings with dialogue partners, including the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Plus Three Summit. ASEAN leaders are expected to decide on the bloc’s next steps regarding Myanmar following a review of the implementation of a 2021 peace plan conducted by foreign ministers on Monday. Additionally, agreements on green infrastructure and resilient supply chains, food security, and the digital economy and payment ecosystem are anticipated outcomes of the summit.