VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo expects that ASEAN unity and centrality should be the concern of every ASEAN member country. This was stated when he received Secretary-General of ASEAN, Lim Jock Hoi at the State Palace in Jakarta. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno LP Marsudi perceived that with the unity and centrality of ASEAN, it is expected that ASEAN can contribute in shaping a peaceful and prosperous ecosystem in the region.

“Then, the second hope of President Joko Widodo is that 50 years ahead, there will be a lot of challenges related to unity and centrality of ASEAN. This is very important. This means to keep ASEAN relevant and able to make ASEAN contribute to the creation of a peaceful and prosperous ecosystem in the region as has been done in ASEAN region over the last 50 years,” Retno Marsudi said.

Furthermore, Retno Marsudi also stated that besides emphasizing the importance of ASEAN unity and centrality, President Joko Widodo also disclosed about the construction of ASEAN Secretariat building in Jakarta. In his meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, President Joko Widodo hopes that the ASEAN Secretariat has a duty to strengthen ASEAN visibility by disseminating information quickly and accurately. In addition, the President also hopes that the construction of the new ASEAN Secretariat building can contribute to the efficiency of ASEAN's performance, especially in the management of a number of ASEAN meetings in Jakarta. (VOI/NdyRhm)