AIPA General Assembly Begins, Puan Maharani Echoes ASEAN Solidarity's Spirit

Opening of the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly in Jakarta, Sunday 6 August 2023. (Special)

JAKARTA - The 44th ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) which was held in Jakarta has begun. The chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, who acted as Chair of the 44th AIPA General Assembly Sunday afternoon, August 6, 2023, chaired the Executive Committee of parliamentary forums in Southeast Asia.

The Executive Committee session was held to discuss agendas and programs related to the 44th AIPA General Assembly. In this session, Puan emphasized the importance of the parliament of ASEAN countries to be responsive and responsive in facing various regional and global challenges.

"I invite all parliamentary delegates who are present to jointly prioritize the spirit of ASEAN solidarity. Thus, the session is expected to take place productively and we can all produce consensus at the end of the meeting," said Puan.

The 44th AIPA General Assembly was held at the Fairmont Hotel Jakarta, Senayan, from August 5 to 11, 2023. The prestigious event was attended by 9 Speakers of Parliament in ASEAN other than Indonesia. In addition, the 44th AIPA General Assembly was also attended by representatives of 17 Observer and Guest countries, as well as representatives of 9 International Organizations. The total participants present were 568 Delegations.

AIPA General Assembly is one of the peaks of the chairmanship of the DPR RI at AIPA, in line with Indonesia's chairmanship in ASEAN in 2023. Therefore, the DPR RI will host the AIPA General Assembly this time.

In the 44th AIPA session, the DPR carried the theme "Responsive Parliaments for a Stable and Prosperous ASEAN" which is ASEAN parliament's commitment to participate in creating peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia.

As the organizer, the Indonesian House of Representatives ensures that all activities in the 44th AIPA General Assembly series will be carried out inclusively and transparently. Puan believes that good relations at the parliamentary level will increase the spirit of solidarity in the region.

"The presence of all of you is proof of our joint efforts, in order to increase the role of members of parliament in building a better ASEAN future," said the first woman to serve as Chair of the DPR RI.

At this Executive Committee Session, Puan, who is also the President of AIPA 2023, was accompanied by the Secretary General (Sekjen) of AIPA Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman. The Executive Committee is a body in AIPA that prepares for discussions at the AIPA General Assembly.