Indonesia Proposes ASEAN Consular Chiefs Forum, Foreign Minister Sugiono: The Response is Positive

JAKARTA - Indonesia's proposal to form an ASEAN consular chief forum received a positive response, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, highlighting the commitment to protect member countries outside the Region and looking back at existing experiences.

Foreign Minister Sugiono in his statement at the 59th Plenary Session of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Manila, Philippines, Tuesday (21/7) revealed that Indonesia had proposed an ASEAN Consular Affairs Division Head Forum.

"The response is positive, all positive," he told reporters at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, as quoted by Thursday (23/7).

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono explained that protecting the ASEAN family goes hand in hand with efforts to maintain peace, highlighting the experience of ASEAN member states who were stranded outside due to the outbreak of conflicts.

"Because for citizens who are stranded in war zones, ASEAN is not measured by summit meetings or statements. ASEAN is measured by whether aid arrives," emphasized Foreign Minister Sugiono.

He further explained that there are ASEAN countries whose population is mostly abroad. Therefore, it is considered necessary to propose a forum for heads of consular affairs to streamline consular services.

"For example, there was a problem with our citizens in one country, during the first war. Then we were helped by Singapore at that time," he explained.

"Things like this I think we need coordination. Because the Philippines has many citizens abroad, Indonesia is like that, Malaysia," he continued.

"And they provide more effective consular services, I guess. There needs to be coordination in a forum like that," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

It is known that the Singapore Ministry of Defense in March said that the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) carried out repatriation flights for citizens of Australia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, after previously repatriating Singapore citizens due to the crisis in the Middle East, quoted from The Straits Times.