VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (fifth from the right) at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit reception at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) on Tuesday (March 5, 2024). (ANTARA/Presidential Secretariat) - 

VOInews, Australia - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has reaffirmed Indonesia's solidarity with Palestine and called for an end to the genocide in the Gaza Strip during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on March 4-6.

"The president reiterated the importance of the ceasefire and called for continued support to UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees)," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated in a press statement on Wednesday.

In the second session of the summit, themed "Our Vision for the Region and Addressing Shared Challenges," Jokowi also emphasized the importance of ASEAN and Australia continuing to respect international law.

"Rule-based order must be enforced without double standards, and no country should be above the law," Marsudi said, referring to Jokowi's statement.

Regarding the geopolitical situation, Jokowi encouraged ASEAN and Australia to continue to strengthen the spirit and paradigm of cooperation to prevent a decline in trust.

"Inclusive cooperation is very important to create strategic trust. The president also hoped that Australia could become a bridge for ASEAN cooperation with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and with IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association)," Marsudi remarked.

The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit was held to commemorate 50 years of partnership between the two. Australia is ASEAN's first dialogue partner and the first partner in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which was established on August 8, 1967, currently has 10 official member countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

ASEAN, in principle, admitted Timor-Leste as its 11th member and allowed the country to attend all its meetings, including at the head of state and government level//(ANTARA-VOI)