6-9-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesia is actively seeking to tap into the potential of the Indo-Pacific region to establish robust economic cooperation, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Pahala Nugraha Mansury. Through the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF), Indonesia is showcasing numerous cooperation projects and potential collaborations to encourage engagement between ASEAN and Indo-Pacific countries.
The AIPF, held in Jakarta from September 5 to 6, 2023, serves as the flagship event of the 43rd ASEAN Summit. Recognizing the Indo-Pacific’s contribution of 64 percent to global economic growth, Mansury emphasized the need to prioritize cooperation over geopolitical rivalries and conflicts in the region. The AIPF aims to foster a culture of collaboration and development among ASEAN and Indo-Pacific nations.
During the two-day forum, discussions and business-matching sessions will revolve around three key areas of cooperation: green infrastructure and resilient supply chains, innovative sustainable financing, and digital transformation and the creative economy. Mansury highlighted these sectors as potential sources of new growth for ASEAN, which is projected to experience a 4.5 percent growth rate this year, as stated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2023, the AIPF serves as a platform for promoting constructive dialogues and fostering inclusive and tangible collaborations between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the private sector. Rosan Roeslani, Deputy Minister of State Enterprises, emphasized ASEAN’s role as the future epicenter of growth in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indonesia has extended invitations for cooperation in various development projects, including an aluminum shelter worth US$1.8 billion, the development of Benoa Port in Bali worth US$4.3 billion, as well as the construction of a fertilizer factory, toll road, and special economic zone in Sanur, Bali. Additionally, the AIPF will promote cooperation in green infrastructure development and sustainable financing for the mega-project of building the new capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan.
The AIPF is an implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), initiated by Indonesia and adopted by ASEAN member countries in 2019. The forum aims to strengthen inclusive regional architecture, encourage collaboration, foster mutually beneficial cooperation, and seize opportunities within the Indo-Pacific region. The AIPF aligns with this year’s ASEAN Summit theme of making ASEAN the epicenter of growth while upholding peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
With a collective gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.3 trillion in 2021, the ASEAN region possesses the necessary resources to become the epicenter of global economic growth. Indonesia’s efforts to promote economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific reflect its commitment to harnessing the region’s potential for the benefit of all participating nations.
