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JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia is ready to hold the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (56th AMM)/ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) next week in Jakarta.

The series of meetings that will take place on July 11-14 will be attended by all ASEAN countries and partner envoys, consisting of 29 countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the European Union.

"As the host and Chair of ASEAN, Indonesia will make every effort so that the dialogue and discussions during the AMM/PMC are constructive," said Foreign Minister Retno in a press statement in Jakarta, Friday, July 7.

"Indonesia is ready to bridge all the differences that arise and we are ready to try so that the discussions can produce concrete cooperation that will be brought to the 43rd Summit in September," continued Foreign Minister Retno.

"Of course, the support of ASEAN member countries and ASEAN partner countries is highly expected," said Foreign Minister Retno.

Foreign Minister Retno further explained, in the midst of high world rivalries which have an impact on post-COVID-19 economic recovery, it is important for ASEAN to strengthen its solidity and unity so that it can continue to play centrality.

"AMM/PMC is one of the ASEAN mechanisms that has an important role as a convening power, where a culture of communication, a culture of dialogue continues to be carried out based on the principles of the UN Charter, the ASEAN Charter and international law," she explained.

In this regard, one of the things put forward in the AMM/PMC meeting to maintain stability, peace, and regional economic resilience is the issue of AOIP implementation.

Foreign Minister Retno said that for the first time, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific (AOIP) implementation was mainstreamed in talks with partner countries, focusing on discussing concrete cooperation.

"The main principles in AOIP are inclusiveness and building concrete cooperation. Therefore, ASEAN is ready to cooperate with any partner in the framework of implementing AOIP. This is reflected in various ASEAN documents with partners both at the political and technical levels such as establishing cooperation that concrete," explained Foreign Minister Retno.

"In this context, in September there will be an ASEAN-Indo Pacific Infrastructure Forum in implementing AOIP," said Foreign Minister Retno.

In addition to the above, other things that will be put forward at next week's meeting are strengthening the enforcement of the principles of the ASEAN Charter and code of conduct such as TAS to SEANWFZ, strengthening Confidence Building Measures while strengthening preventive diplomacy, encouraging Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) to access the Protocol. SEANWFZ Treaty, completing guidelines to accelerate the completion of Code of Conduct negotiations in the South China Sea, finalizing the establishment of the ASEAN Maritime Outlook, and discussing concrete cooperation in order to strengthen food security, regional health architecture, strengthening maritime cooperation, to the energy transition, including the vehicle ecosystem electricity.

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"The results of the discussion of these various issues will be presented at the 43rd Summit in September," said Foreign Minister Retno.

"For the first time, ASEAN has also engaged IORA and PIF as part of the implementation of AOIP to maintain regional stability and peace. Engagement with IORA and PIF will be carried out at the September Summit. The MoU roadmap for secretariat cooperation between the ASEAN secretariat and the PIF secretariat continues to be finalized, " said Foreign Minister Retno.

Foreign Minister Retno added AMM/PMC is an important part of the ASEAN mechanism to make ASEAN matters and make Southeast Asia the epicenter of growth.