Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, on Tuesday, welcomed the arrival of ASEAN foreign ministers ahead of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn arrived earlier, followed by Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique A. Manalo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste Bendito Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof.
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Of the 10 ASEAN member countries, only Myanmar will not attend the meeting following the regional organization’s decision to exclude Myanmar’s political representatives from various high-level meetings, as Myanmar’s military junta has not implemented the ASEAN’s five-point consensus.
The five-point consensus is a decision agreed upon by ASEAN leaders and Myanmar’s junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 that aims to help resolve the political crisis of Myanmar.
The consensus calls for an immediate end to violence, holding of dialogue among all parties concerned, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, among others.
The series of AMM events are being held in Jakarta from July 10 to July 14, 2023.
The events comprise 18 meetings, including a meeting to discuss the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), a meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), an AMM plenary session, and a retreat session.
Read more: Indonesia ready to welcome ASEAN foreign ministers, dialogue partners
Furthermore, the agenda includes ASEAN foreign ministers’ meetings with ASEAN dialogue partners, namely India, New Zealand, Russia, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
It also includes the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
The ASEAN foreign ministers meeting will discuss several issues, including the Myanmar crisis and the South China Sea.
As the ASEAN chair this year, Indonesia has raised the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” which reflects its focus on directing cooperation to strengthen ASEAN’s relevance in responding to regional and global challenges and to build ASEAN’s position as a center of economic growth in the region.