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July
Australian Foreign Minister Wong Discusses ASEAN-Australia Partnership
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, stated that she will discuss the cooperation potential under the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, especially in climate change and health resilience.
Wong noted in a press release received here on Tuesday that Australia is committed to working together with the region to realize the goals of all parties.
The minister also discussed the topic of ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) with ASEAN ministers.
Indonesia is holding the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) on July 10-14, 2023, as part of its chairmanship this year, in which 29 countries, along with the ASEAN Secretariat and the EU, are participating in the event.
Australia views the ASEAN as being a stable, peaceful, and prosperous region, Wong remarked.
Her current visit to Indonesia was an opportunity to intensify Australia's partnership with Indonesia and reaffirm its support to Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN this year.
"Indonesia is central to Australia's prosperity and our security," Wong affirmed.
Wong is also scheduled to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Friday (July 14).
"I will explain Australia's vision for the region on how we can cooperate with ASEAN in responding to challenges together," she stated.
She will inaugurate a photo exhibition on the framework of 70 Years of Australian Scholarships in Indonesia and participate in a discussion with Indonesian youths.
Wong said she will visit a local health center to reaffirm cooperation between Australia and Indonesia in health reformation.
Earlier, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated that Australia is one of the first strategic comprehensive partners of the ASEAN.
Next year, the ASEAN and Australia will celebrate their five-decade-long relations.
Indonesia also invited Australia's participation in flagship events under the AOIP.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's commitment to boosting bilateral relations with Australia is strong, especially in the economic sector, Marsudi stated. The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) can be a new tool to increase economic partnerships. (Antaranews)
July
VOINews, Jakarta - More and more countries are showing an interest in signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said here on Tuesday.
The treaty, which was established in 1976, aims to create political stability and security in Southeast Asia by regulating the peaceful resolution of conflicts between countries.
"We discussed countries' accession to TAC, which we hope that the accession will not only be on paper, but really implemented," Marsudi said concerning the plenary session of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) held in Jakarta on Tuesday.
One of those countries is Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to sign the TAC on the sidelines of the 56th AMM in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 12).
Serbia's application for TAC accession was approved during the plenary session. ASEAN has also appointed its secretariat to review Algeria's application.
According to Marsudi, as this year's ASEAN chair, Indonesia will also make efforts for Panama, Spain, and Mexico's accession to the TAC on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in September.
ASEAN foreign ministers have also expressed support for the cooperation between the ASEAN secretariat and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
"This is our effort to expand the spirit of dialogue, collaboration, inclusivity in the context of making the Indo-Pacific a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region," Marsudi said.
The minister informed that during the plenary session, the ASEAN foreign ministers approved South Africa's application to become a sectoral dialogue partner and, in principle, approved Morocco's application as well.
Regarding Timor Leste's membership, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, said that so far, Timor Leste has participated in 160 ASEAN meetings as part of efforts to accelerate the implementation of the nation's membership road map.
He also lauded Indonesia's leadership in initiating the ASEAN Maritime Outlook, which will be released during the ASEAN Maritime Forum in August 2023.
At the plenary session, Marsudi announced Indonesia's plan to initiate ASEAN Concord IV, which will become ASEAN's post-2025 vision. The core elements of the concord will be further discussed and are planned to be adopted during the 43rd ASEAN Summit. (Antaranews)
July
ASEAN: Thailand Defends Its Approach To Resolving Myanmar Crisis
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai affirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday that Bangkok's initiative to hold three meetings with the Myanmar junta constituted an alternative approach to resolving the crisis in Myanmar.
The approach does not violate the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN ) Leaders' Review and Decision on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus document, Minister Pramudwinai underlined.
He referred to Article 14 of the document, which was released after the 2022 ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and states, "ASEAN shall consider exploring other approaches that could support the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus."
"The first and second informal meetings, and also the third meeting we held fully comply with the Article 14 of the document, which is to try exploring other approaches," the minister said on the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM).
Many parties, including ASEAN chair Indonesia, had criticized Thailand over its initiative to invite all ASEAN foreign ministers and representatives of the Myanmar junta to a meeting in June 2023.
In the end, the Laotian foreign affairs minister and Myanmar junta's representatives joined the meeting, while other ASEAN foreign affairs ministers stayed away.
Indonesia referred to the Thailand-initiated meetings, which involved only one party engaged in the Myanmar conflict, as a violation of the mandate laid down in the Five-Point Consensus.
However, Pramudwinai defended his country's initiative by putting emphasis on the informality of the meetings,saying he believed that the meetings were not held within the framework of ASEAN.
He also stressed that an inclusive dialogue involving all stakeholders in Myanmar constitutes "the only way to solve this problem." (Antaranews)
July
AMRO Maintains ASEAN+3 Economic Growth Projection at 4.6 Percent
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) maintained its short-term growth forecast of ASEAN+3 region at the level of 4.6 percent in 2023 in its July quarterly update to the ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook (AREO) 2023.
"The recovery of ASEAN+3 now depends on strong demand in the region," chief economist of AMRO Hoe Ee Khor noted in a press conference titled "Quarterly Update of AREO 2023" monitored online in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Although the ongoing weakness in global trade has prompted a slight reduction in ASEAN's growth forecast in 2023 to 4.5 percent, from April's projection of 4.9 percent, he remarked that this would be offset by an improved outlook for the Plus-3 economies: Japan, South Korea, and China.
Recovery in the labor market and reduced inflation, coupled with growing intra-regional tourism, are helping to protect growth against sluggish external demand that is dampening the region's exports.
Meanwhile, inflation has slowed in most ASEAN+3 economies due to the easing of global commodity prices and supply chain normalization that allowed several central banks in the region to halt to reduce the pace of monetary tightening, which in turn will strengthen consumption.
AMRO revised its inflation forecast in 2023 for the ASEAN+3 region, excluding Laos and Myanmar, to three percent, slightly lower than the earlier forecast of 3.4 percent.
For the next year, Khor affirmed that economic growth is expected to decline slightly to 4.5 percent, while inflation is projected to slow further to 2.4 percent.
Without any new surprises, the ASEAN+3 region's export performance will change its direction soon. The turnaround in the global semiconductor cycle, which is likely to start later this year, will become a bright spot for several exporters in the region.
Pent-up demand from returning Chinese tourists will also provide additional boost to the growth. AMRO, however, gives a warning about some lingering risks going forward.
He revealed that one of these risks is the threat of a recession in the United States and Europe. While the current possibility is lower than three months ago, the potential for a recession in the two regions cannot be ignored completely.
“The downside risks to the prospects for the ASEAN+3 region have indeed reduced since April, but we are not out of predicament yet. Rising financial pressure due to tighter US monetary policy is a risk that ASEAN+3 policy makers must continue to watch out for," he warned. (Antaranews)