4-9-2023 (JAKARTA) Serbia, Panama, and Kuwait have signaled their intention to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta on Monday. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that the signing will take place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.
The AMM serves as a precursor to the 43rd ASEAN Summit, which is scheduled to be held in Jakarta from September 5 to 7. This year, Indonesia holds the chairmanship of the regional bloc and has adopted the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” emphasizing its commitment to maintaining ASEAN’s position as a hub for economic, political, and socio-cultural development.
According to the MFA, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation will be signed by Ivica Dacic, the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Vladimir Franco, the Panamanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Aljaber Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister.
With the inclusion of these three countries, the TAC will have a total of 54 signatory nations. In July, Saudi Arabia became the 51st country to sign the treaty during the 56th AMM held in Jakarta.
The TAC, established in 1976, promotes the principle of non-aggression among ASEAN member countries and their partners. The treaty aims to foster peace, amity, and cooperation among Southeast Asian nations and their partners, with the goal of strengthening regional unity, solidarity, and friendly relations.
By acceding to the treaty, countries commit to upholding principles such as freedom, sovereignty, respect for territorial integrity, and national identity. They also pledge to respect each country’s right to defend its national stance and to avoid intervention, invasion, coercion, and prioritize peaceful methods of conflict resolution.
