Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Calls the Event of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta Similar to the G-20 Bali

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Foreign Affairs or Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that the 43 ASEAN Summit in Jakarta would be attended by 22 countries. This number is almost the same as the number at the 2022 G-20 Summit in Bali.

"So far, 22 countries and nine international organizations will be attending, so if you look at the number, it is almost the same as at the time of the G-20 implementation. Fewer indeed, but the preparations are no less than those for the G-20 Summit," Retno said in a statement on Monday.

The 22 countries that will attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit consist of 11 ASEAN countries including Timor Leste which will be represented by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Then there are nine ASEAN partner countries as well as East Asia Summit member countries, including South Korea.

In addition, Japan, India, PRC, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, USA. Two invited countries were also present, namely Bangladesh for being chairman of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and Cooks Island who was chairman of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF).

"Why are there IORA and PIF? This is a translation of an inclusive approach to the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific and there will be a collaboration signed between the ASEAN secretariat and the PIF and IORA secretariat. Therefore apart from the PIF chairman and IORA chair, the secretary general of IORA and the secretary general of the PIF, which means there are two other organizations that will also come," said Retno.

Apart from that, said Retno, the 43rd ASEAN Summit will also be attended by the IMF and the World Bank. Two organizations as observers were also present, namely the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) and the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) as well as the founder and CEO of the World Economics Forum (WEF).