Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono Emphasizes the Importance of the ASEAN-India Cooperation Platform to Monitor Food and Energy Reserves

PMC ASEAN-India 2026. (Okta/Infomed/Kemlu RI)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono emphasized the importance of the ASEAN-India cooperation platform to monitor food and energy reserves in a tangible manner, stressing that cooperation between the two parties needs to be realized with concrete steps.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Sugiono at the ASEAN-India Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Manila, Philippines, Wednesday (22/7).

Taking advantage of the momentum of this year's ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, Foreign Minister Sugiono encouraged the strengthening of collaboration in the maritime sector as a basis for a more resilient region.

This cooperation needs to be realized through concrete steps, ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster management, maritime safety, coast guard training, to the development of port resilience so that it can continue to operate optimally in the midst of disaster threats and global supply chain crises.

"Regional resilience does not stop in the maritime sector. We must also ensure that the region is better prepared to face climate and geopolitical shocks through strengthening food and energy security," said Foreign Minister Sugiono.

Strengthening connectivity in the Indian Ocean region is also a priority through port-to-port cooperation, joint search and rescue operations, and the development of the blue economy. All of these steps are based on the principles of international law, in particular UNCLOS 1982.

In this regard, Indonesia emphasized the importance of a joint ASEAN-India platform to monitor food and energy reserves in real-time to increase the certainty, availability, and affordability of supplies in the region.

Furthermore, Foreign Minister Sugiono also highlighted the potential of Sabang as a strategic gateway connecting ASEAN and India. Its location, which is less than 200 kilometers from the Andaman Islands, is considered to open up new opportunities for increasing trade, cruise tourism, and inter-community relations.

In the health sector, Indonesia encourages the establishment of the ASEAN-India Health Resilience Track to strengthen collaboration in the fields of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, diagnostics, health worker training, and preparedness for future pandemics and health challenges.

During this meeting, Indonesia also conveyed support for accelerating the completion of the Review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) so that trade rules between ASEAN and India become simpler, more efficient, and mutually beneficial.

Concluding his statement, Foreign Minister Sugiono invited all ASEAN and Indian countries to ensure that the ASEAN-India Plan of Action 2026-2030 is able to produce a partnership that is increasingly resilient and prosperous for the people of the two regions.