Indonesia Encourages The Establishment Of ASEAN Maritime Outlook, Foreign Minister Retno: Maritime Cooperation Must Strengthen

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi while attending the 25th ASEAN Security Political Council Meeting in Cambodia. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The interest of increasing ASEAN maritime cooperation with partners is the background of Indonesia's recommendations for the establishment of the ASEAN Maritime Outlook (AMO), said Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the 25th ASEAN Security Political Council Meeting at Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday.

Foreign Minister Retno said ASEAN Maritime Outlook would open wider cooperation in ASEAN relations with partners.

"We know the great potential of the contribution of maritime cooperation to welfare in the Indo-Pacific," Foreign Minister Retno explained in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thursday, November 10.

Furthermore, he said, maritime issues are often only approached from a narrow security perspective. Meanwhile, the potential for maritime cooperation, especially in the Indo-Pacific, is huge.

With this great potential, ASEAN includes maritime cooperation as one of the priorities of ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

" Maritime cooperation must be a future that unites us with partners, not separate," he explained.

Foreign Minister Retno added, next year, Indonesia will hold the chairmanship of ASEAN. The issue of maritime cooperation will be one of the priorities and will encourage practical and concrete cooperation between ASEAN and speech partner countries.

In addition to maritime issues, Foreign Minister Retno at the APSC Meeting also emphasized the importance of a progressive vision regarding human rights.

The Foreign Minister invited ASEAN to prioritize human rights in the three pillars of ASEAN cooperation. The Foreign Minister proposed that the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue be important to do regularly. Open dialogue by including all stakeholders and the importance of ASEAN strengthens the mandate to protect ASEAN Human Rights Agency or ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).