Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Emphasizes that the ASEAN-Japan Partnership Must Have a Clear Direction and Produce Concrete Cooperation
JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said that the ASEAN-Japan partnership must have a clear direction and produce concrete cooperation, encouraging a partnership that is increasingly resilient and able to respond to the strategic needs of the region amid increasing global uncertainty.
Speaking at the ASEAN-Japan Post-Ministerial Conference, in Manila, Philippines, Wednesday, Foreign Minister Sugiono emphasized that cooperation between the two parties should be increasingly focused on quality investment, resilient infrastructure, clean energy, human resource development and maritime security.
"The ASEAN-Japan partnership must have a clear direction and produce concrete cooperation for peace, resilience, and prosperity in the region," said Foreign Minister Sugiono, launching the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement, Thursday (23/7).
It is known that the ASEAN-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting is part of the 59th AMM/PMC series in Manila. Japan has been an ASEAN Dialogue Partner since 1973.
The ASEAN-Japan partnership covers political-security cooperation, trade and investment, connectivity, energy, maritime, human resource development, and sustainable development.
Furthermore, Indonesia welcomes the strengthening of complementarity between the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) so that it can be translated into concrete cooperation, with the ASEAN Center as the foundation.
Japan's support for AOIP is reflected in the Joint Statement adopted in October last year as well as additional contributions to the implementation of various AOIP-themed activities.
In particular, Foreign Minister Sugiono highlighted the importance of safe and open sea lanes for the smooth supply of energy, food, trade and regional supply chains.
"Maritime cooperation must remain the main pillar of the ASEAN-Japan partnership, through capacity building, connectivity, and maritime domain awareness," emphasized Foreign Minister Sugiono.
In the field of economy and energy, Indonesia encourages the optimization of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia to support the energy transition while strengthening the region's energy resilience.
The ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and ASEAN Plus Three frameworks also need to continue to be utilized to maintain trade and investment flows and open new opportunities for industries.
In this meeting, Foreign Minister Sugiono underlined the importance of the contribution of ASEAN and Japan to the recovery and development of Palestine through the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD).
"For Indonesia, Palestine is not only a humanitarian issue. This is a matter of justice, dignity, and the right of the Palestinian people to rebuild their future," said Foreign Minister Sugiono.
CEAPAD, he continued, must be able to translate solidarity into long-term recovery and development for the Palestinian people.
"ASEAN and Japan have their own strengths. When bound by the same goal, this partnership will be even stronger in maintaining peace and prosperity in the region," said the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs.