Indonesia has launched the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum as its 2023 ASEAN chairmanship’s flagship programme to strengthen collaboration in the region.
“We continue to partner with other Pacific countries with stronger economies to support economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Berlianto Situngkir, director of ASEAN economic cooperation at the Indonesia Foreign Affairs Ministry, on May 3 as quoted by the country’s national news agency Antara.
The ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum is a collaborative step towards maintaining economic stability in the region. Its activities include the Creative Economic Forum, Infrastructure Forum, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, and Youth Conference on Digital Economy to Support SDGs (sustainable development goals).
The discourse also covers South-South Cooperation, trade facilitation, digital economy, cross-border data flow, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), disaster risk reduction, and climate change handling.
In 2019, Indonesia initiated the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific to promote the bloc’s centrality, openness, transparency, inclusiveness, a principles-based framework, good governance, respect for sovereignty, and a non-intervention policy. It also seeks to promote mutual respect and mutual trust in the region, supported by underlying cooperation.
Source: Lao News Agency