VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) which was opened on Thursday, August 2^nd 2018, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi will struggle for the idea of the Indo-Pacific through more detailed explanation on AMM which would last until the next Saturday. Indonesia will also utilize Meeting of ASEAN Members with the dialogue partners to confirm and to carry on national concerns in various priority issues. The Indo-Pacific idea was initiated by Indonesia after looking the fight threat of the major countries in Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean, such as the USA, China, and India, Australia, and Japan, which would affect Southest Asian countries. Indonesia wants the Indo-Pacific issue to be discussed in the East Asia Summit which is also followed by major countries on August 4^th 2018.

Minister Retno will also explain the Indonesia concerns about the strengthening of cooperation in Indo-Pacific region. The issue is the strategic one for Indonesia and ASEAN region located in the middle or as axis of both regions, namely Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Indonesia will offer an outlook towards Indo-Pacific area which is aimed at improving cooperation in maritime, connectivity, and sustainable development agenda. The Indonesian concept is meant to be able to give added value for the mechanism of ASEAN cooperation which has been available nowadays, specifically to strengthen the East Asia Summit-EAS.

Basically, the concept of Indo-Pacific is aimed to optimize the architecture which has been established instead of forming the new architecture in ASEAN area. ASEAN is actually the right place in offering the Indo-Pacific idea with the inclusive values, cooperation, and the dialogue. In more than 50 years of its existence, ASEAN never threatens any party and does not have any tradition of confrontation.

By the dialogue tradition, ASEAN wants to convey to the major countries to accentuate the discussion in solving the different interests. ASEAN has to improve the crisis management capacity, specifically by solving faster the conflicts and the human rights.

The efforts of Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to keep doing so that the Indo-Pacific concept is more relevant in creating peace and regional safety not only in Pacific area  but also in Indian region. The support of ASEAN countries is needed so that the concept could be realized and enjoyed by the whole countries in both regions.