Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday called for strengthened cooperation between ASEAN and countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We must work together to uphold peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,” she stated during the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in Jakarta.
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The MoUs were signed by the ASEAN Secretariat with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
The signing ceremony was part of a series of events at the 43rd ASEAN Summit to be held on September 5-7, 2023, in Jakarta.
Marsudi said that countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans are an inseparable part of the Indo-Pacific region and the region’s developments will have an impact on ASEAN countries.
She noted that the signing of the MoUs was an important step to strengthen ASEAN’s relations with countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
“We must work together to prevent this region from becoming an arena for competition among big countries,” she emphasized.
She also asserted that the region should not become a field of prolonged conflict.
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According to Marsudi, efforts to realize this goal can only be carried out if all countries in the region apply the same values and principles, encourage collaboration, apply the outlook to benefit one another, and increase involvement.
He highlighted the fact that countries in the Indo-Pacific region face the same challenges and opportunities.
Hence, she encourages unity to overcome each of these challenges.
“Remember, if you want to walk fast, walk alone. However, if you want to walk far, walk together. I believe we all want to walk far,” she remarked.
ASEAN and countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans need to encourage concrete cooperation that underlines common interests, such as the economy, maritime affairs, and climate change, Marsudi said.
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“That is why we work together to strengthen regional resilience and build our region to become a center of growth,” she affirmed.