Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi: ASEAN Unity Is Important To Maintain Relevance And Credibility

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi delivers her speech at the commemoration of the 55th anniversary of ASEAN in Jakarta, Monday (8/8/2022). (ANTARA/HO-Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said consolidating the unity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was an important part for the organization in an effort to maintain relevance and credibility.

Retno made this statement in her speech at the commemoration of the 55th anniversary of ASEAN.

"It is important for us to use this anniversary moment as a moment for resolution, to strengthen ASEAN, to maintain its credibility and relevance," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 8.

Therefore, Indonesia proposes three things that need to be the focus of ASEAN, the first is ASEAN unity.

According to him, displaying unity is very important, considering it reflects a strong commitment to common interests, and shows a firm refusal to be a pawn in the rivalry of the superpowers.

However, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that efforts to strengthen unity should not sacrifice an effective response to an emergency situation.

"To be relevant, ASEAN must be able to handle any challenges that may arise," he added.

The second thing is to re-trace ASEAN's centrality, which Retno called part of a long journey, rather than a destination.

The Foreign Minister said ASEAN must be the main driver in shaping the regional order.

"We must continue to maintain strategic trust and the mainstream paradigm regarding collaboration between countries in the region," said Retno.

Meanwhile, strengthening ASEAN's reliability is the third point mentioned by Retno.

According to him, ASEAN already has various mechanisms, including those made with partner countries, to deal with the complex challenges of today's world.

"We have to use it for our society, our job now is to identify what can be strengthened," he said.

Foreign Minister Rento emphasized that in the future, ASEAN must continue to innovate and the steps taken must be preventive and adaptive.

On its 55th anniversary, ASEAN raised the theme "Stronger Together", which is in line with the theme of Cambodia's chairmanship in 2022, namely "Facing Common Challenges".