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July
Indonesia-Australia-India Trilateral Meeting Focuses on Strengthening Indo-Pacific Cooperation
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOInews, Jakarta: Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the Indonesia-Australia-India Trilateral meeting, in Jakarta, Wednesday (12/7).
"It is a pleasure to meet you again since our first Trilateral meeting in New York, September last year," Retno said.
Retno Marsudi said India, Australia and Indonesia have many similarities. According to her, all three countries are democratic and a positive force in respecting international law and maintaining stability.
"I really appreciate your support for ASEAN centrality and the implementation of the AOIP," she said.
Retno also said she looked forward to Australia and India's active participation in the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Forum to be held on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in September.
"Australia is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and all three of us are members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)," she said.
Retno said Indonesia as ASEAN Chair has received support from all member countries to form cooperation between regions. In this case, according to her, ASEAN will establish cooperation between secretariats, namely the ASEAN Secretariat and the PIF Secretariat and the ASEAN Secretariat and the IORA Secretariat.
"This is Indonesia's contribution to making the Indo-Pacific a peaceful and prosperous region, and involving partner countries in an inclusive manner.
Retno also expressed hope that the Indonesia-Australia and India Trilateral meeting could identify concrete ideas to enhance practical cooperation in a number of areas, including in the economic, maritime and food security fields. (VOI/Andy)
July
Myanmar Issue Dominates ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Marsudi
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - The issue related to the political and humanitarian crises in Myanmar dominated the discussion of foreign affairs ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta on Wednesday.
"We discussed various issues during the retreat session in a very open manner, highlighting the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated after chairing the retreat session of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Affairs Ministers' Meeting (AMM).
Minister Marsudi reiterated that the consensus must become the main reference for handling various issues in Myanmar.
"Any other initiative must support and be in line with the consensus," she noted.
The consensus called for an immediate end to violence; holding of dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; allowing humanitarian assistance from ASEAN; and permitting an ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar to meet with all parties.
The minister noted that Indonesia, this year's ASEAN chair, had very intensive and broad engagements with all stakeholders in Myanmar, with the objective of realizing an inclusive national dialogue to create durable peace in the country.
"These engagements serve as a means to achieve the goals, including to build trust, bringing together those who have never met. This is not an easy task, but we keep striving to finish it," Marsudi noted.
Marsudi then underlined that during the retreat session, all ASEAN member states showed full support for Indonesia's approach that aligns with the mandate found in the consensus.
"At least, the engagements can encourage conflicting parties to start thinking of holding dialogues as the next building block. We believe that an inclusive dialogue will pave the way to political solution, which will lead to durable peace," she remarked.
Furthermore, Marsudi also stated that the ASEAN is still highly concerned over the continuing and increasing violence in Myanmar.
Hence, the ASEAN urges all stakeholders to stop violent acts, particularly those resulting in civilian casualties, including bombings in public facilities, such as schools and hospitals.
"Without putting an end to violence, we will not be able to create a conducive situation required for initiating dialogues," she emphasized.
Myanmar has been struggling with violent events and economic crisis as a result of the mutiny carried out by the military junta against the elected government in February 2021.
The junta then took follow-up measures to mute different opinions regarding the election result by launching brutal assaults, leading to high numbers of casualties and injuries as well as division in the country. (Antaranews)
July
VOINews, Jakarta - Saudi Arabia has become the 51st country to sign the ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
"We welcome Saudi Arabia to the ASEAN family," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated during a ceremony event for the signing of the Instrument of Accession to the TAC by Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud here Wednesday.
The signing was conducted on the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM).
Marsudi noted that the signing of the TAC by Saudi Arabia reflected the country's commitment to obeying ASEAN values and principles, namely to cooperate, consistently uphold international law, and contribute to peace and stability in the Southeast Asia region and beyond.
The minister emphasized that those values and principles are essential to continuously be implemented amid the current geopolitical dynamics.
"Together, we must serve as a positive force for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," she remarked.
Apart from Saudi Arabia, 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 2023.
The TAC, which was established in 1976, aims to create political stability and security in Southeast Asia by regulating the peaceful resolution of conflicts between countries. (Antaranews)
July
VOINews, Jakarta - Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai confirmed that he had met with the exiled and imprisoned Myanmar leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
"She (Suu Kyi) was in a healthy condition," the minister stated on the sidelines of the Retreat Session of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Pramudwinai remarked that Myanmar's ousted leader pushed for dialogue as a means to resolving the political crisis in her country.
The minister then reiterated that inclusive dialogues involving Myanmar stakeholders, including the military junta, are of the essence to deal with the crisis, saying, "We must engage the junta."
Thailand has been taking its own alternative approach to resolving the crisis in Myanmar by inviting representatives of the military junta to three meetings since last year.
Bangkok invited all ASEAN ministers to the most recent meeting held in June. In the end, the Laotian foreign affairs minister and Myanmar junta's representatives joined the meeting, while other ASEAN foreign affairs ministers stayed away.
Minister Pramudwinai affirmed that all the three Thailand-initiated meetings fully complied with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders' Review and Decision on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus document.
The consensus called for an immediate end to violence; holding of dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; allowing humanitarian assistance from ASEAN; and permitting an ASEAN special envoy to visit Myanmar to meet with all parties.
The Thai minister defended Bangkok's approach by referring 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 approach does not violate the Five-Point Consensus that ASEAN has agreed upon, he stressed.
"Yes, we aim to collectively achieve the points encapsulated in the consensus, but this (the meetings) is the approach we take to engage the colleagues in Myanmar. We seek for a settlement, so our goal is basically the same," he emphasized.
The interaction between Pramudwinai and Suu Kyi on Sunday (July 9) was the first confirmed meeting between the Burmese democracy icon and a foreign high-ranking official since the mutiny carried out by the military junta against the Myanmar elected government. (antaranews)